Postwar immigration from Japan to Canada: Challenging or reconstructing Japanese tradition Natsuko C

1
Post-war immigration from Japan to Canada
Challenging or reconstructing Japanese
tradition?Natsuko ChubachiPh.D. Candidate,
Queens UniversityResearcher, Consulate-General
of Japan in Honoluluemail nchubachi2004_at_yahoo.co
.jp

2
Immigration from Japan to Canada (Kobayashi 2002)

• Pre-war immigration
• Primarily for economic reasons
• As a member of family
• More male than female
• Married to a Japanese spouse
• ? Reconstructing Japanese tradition
• Post-war immigration
• Not for financial reasons
• Because of individual decision
• Majority female
• Intermarriage is very common
• ? Escaping Japanese tradition

3
Objective

• Explore post-war (im)migration from Japan to
  Canada, based on interviews with Japanese
  immigrants in Canada
• Examine whether it is really to challenge
  Japanese tradition, considering its reasons,
  characteristics and meanings

4
Method

• Pre-structured interviews with 62 Japanese people
  living in Canada
• Question Why and how did you come to Canada?
• Duration 1.5-2 hours
• Language 60 in Japanese 2 in English and
  Japanese

5
Interviewees
6
Interviewees (continued)
? 1986 working-holiday visa started
7
Interview 1

• Before I immigrated to Canada, I travelled
  abroad every year. The more I travelled abroad,
  the more I wanted to live outside Japan. I had
  been to Canada before, with my mother on a group
  tour. At that time, both she and I were very
  much pleased with this land, Canada. I felt,
  Wow, what a big country this is
• (Female, 35-40, Canadian citizen)

8
Interview 2

• I had a friend whom I always travelled with.
  One day she and I made a reservation for a group
  tour to Italy, and we requested a vacation from
  the company we worked for. But after the
  vacation was approved, we were informed that the
  group tour to Italy was cancelled. My friend and
  I were talking, We have already taken the
  vacation. It would be a waste if we didnt go
  anywhere. Then another friend told me, My
  brother lives in Canada, so why dont you go to
  Canada? Thats how we decided to go to Canada.
  Italy as a destination turned into Canada.
  (Female, 41-45, Canadian immigrant)

9

• Findings
• They started the relationship with Canada quite
  casually.
• They made a trip to Canada, attracted by
  touristic images.
• Their mental map outside Japan at the point of
  departure vague and ambiguous
• ? Immigration as an extension of travelling
  Attracted by imagined Canada

10
Interview 3

• I came to Canada because I admired Anne of
  Greengables. When I was a eighth grade, my
  textbook had a portion of Anne of Greengables.
  Since then I became absorbed in the story.
  Then I started longing for Canada. After
  I became an adult, one day on a train, I saw an
  ad of training course for people who would like
  to immigrate to Canada. I really wanted to come
  to Canada. So I obtained a permanent visa to
  immigrate to Canada.
• (Female, 55-60, Canadian citizen)

11

• Interview 4
• What attracted me to America was West Side
  Story. When I saw the movie, I decided to
  go to America, especially New York, some day.
  Also, the movie named Alamo fascinated me.
  I was so very moved by the American spirit in
  Alamo, Texas. I saw West Side Story 24 times,
  and Alamo 40 times. I went to a movie theatre
  every day as a student. I took a photo at the
  entrance. Whenever I want to go, there is
  always such a longing feeling in me towards the
  place. I went to Paris in the same way. I was
  moved by the movie Last Tango in Paris. In
  Paris I went to the café where the move was shot.
  Then I had a tea there. I was touched,
  indeed, thinking this place really existed.
  I go to places affected by my unconsciousness.
  Human beings are like that.
• (Male, 55-60, Canadian immigrant)

12

• Finding
• They came to Canada driven by a longing feeling
  towards popular culture

13

• Interview 5
• I have longed for America since a child
  ..., attracted by nice-looking white people,
  yeah. I was attracted by those movies, like
  Superman. I longed for America when I was
  small. After I grew up I worked for five years
  or so in Tokyo, and then wondered what I wanted
  to do next. Then, I thought, Before I go to the
  next stage, I want to live in a place which I
  so long longed for. Going to America was my
  dream for a long time, so I wasnt able to move
  on to the next stage without realising the
  dream.
• (Female, 30-35, Canadian immigrant)

14

• Interview 6
• I had a big yearning feeling towards America.
  Once I did a home-stay in California, and
  learned its taste. I started longing for that
  spaciousness. Well, I became so Americanized at
  that time. I liked American openness Plus,
  you know, people are forced to be moulded in
  Japan. I didnt want to be framed. In Japan,
  if I dont do as others do, they look coldly upon
  me. I didnt like it.
• (Female, 35-40, applying for a immigrant status)

15

• Findings
• They came to Canada because they wanted to come
  to America
• Their longing feeling towards N. America/the
  West
• - constructed through popular culture when they
  were young
• - became a driving force to migrate to Canada
  later

16

• Interview 7
• I came to Canada to change my life. If I
  continued to work in Japan, it means repeating
  the same thing over and over again, making only
  a minor difference. I guess single women in
  their twenties come to Canada wishing to change
  something. Daily life for a working woman
  office lady in Japan means doing nothing out of
  the ordinary over and over again. Your life
  would never change unless you get married or
  something.
• (Female, 25-30, working-holiday)

17

• Interview 8
• The reason why I came to Canada was that I
  got married to a Canadian. It was also
  because I was wishing to quit the job I had in
  Japan. I felt I would be moulded if I continue
  to live in Japan. It was the last chance to get
  out of Japan and to experience something. I
  thought that I wouldnt be able to do it if I got
  older.

18

• Finding
• Immigration influenced by gender and the life
  course

19

• Interview 9
• I was already over 30 at that time, and my
  younger brother had got married long time ago.
  Only I was single among all my relatives. So
  their response was like, as far as you can find
  your spouse, you can be anywhere (laugh).
• (Female, 30-35, applying for an immigrant status)

20

• Interview 10
• My mother is a person who thinks it would be
  nice if at least one of her four children lives
  abroad. She doesnt want her child to live in
  a strange place, but well, Canada is a place for
  Japanese people to long for, you know. She was
  all right as far as my spouse was sincere.
• (Female, 40-45, Canadian immigrant)

21
Findings

• Some female interviewees became a Canadian
  immigrant with a marriage with a Canadian, being
  tired of traditional Japanese life course
• Their parents accepted their immigration to
  Canada, believing their daughter was following
  traditional life course

22
Conclusion

• Post-war Japanese immigration to Canada can be
  read both as a rebellion against and as
  reconstruction of Japanese tradition
• There are multiple meanings attached to
  immigration which the migrants use cleverly to
  negotiate their lives.