Japanese Americans Essays - Nisei, Issei, , Term Papers

Japanese Americans The Japanese Americans have maintained loyalty to the United States throughout the history of there immigration beginning in 1843 (Leathers, 6). Over the years, they have persevered through the trials and tribulations of discrimination and prejudice. The white community often discriminated them because of the misunderstanding of their language and culture. They overcame this obstacle, and became productive citizens of the United States of America. The immigration of the Japanese into the United States was first recorded in 1843. Because of the strong currents and winds, sea traders and fishing fleets from many nations learned to exploit these winds and currents to travel from East Asia toward North America. Japanese seafarers were among this group. The first Japanese to come to the United States were accidental visitors- shipwreck survivors who were rescued by U.S. vessels. Over the next few decades, several such incidents occurred, but these incidents only involved a few sailors. Only a few remained to live in the United States permanently. By 1880 fewer than 150 Japanese lived in the U.S. (Leathers, 6-7). This number stayed so low because it was illegal for most Japanese to emigrate from their home country. However, in 1885, the Japanese government eased it's restrictions on emigration (Leathers, 7). Through this action the number of Japanese in the United States and Hawaii increased rapidly. At this time, Hawaii was not yet part of the United States. During the 1890s, the average number of Japanese entering the United States increased by about 1,000. In 1900, more than 12,000 Japanese entered the U.S. (Leathers, 7-8). In 1924, immigration of Japanese was virtually halted when a new immigration law was passed by the U.S. Congress to prohibit the entry of Asians. Significant immigration of Japanese to American did not resume until the late 1940s (Leathers, 8). According to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, only 450,359 Japanese immigrated to the United States between 1820 and 1988. Japanese immigration to the United States constitute less than 10 percent of the total of Asian immigrants between 1820 and 1988 (Leathers, 8). The Japanese word Issei is used for any person who was born in Japan but later moved to another country- a first generation immigrant. A Nisei is an immigrant's son or daughter who was born outside of Japan. The third generation, the Sansei, are the daughters and sons of the Nisei. The fourth generation, the Yonsei, are the children of the Sansei (www.honolulu.miningco.com, 1). Japanese immigrants to the United States nurture a strong awareness of their ancestry. Japanese Americans classify themselves into specific groups depending on know many generations have passed since a person's family immigrated to the United States (Leathers, 8). There were two major reasons for the sudden increase in Japanese immigration. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 stopped the immigration from China to America. This was passed because of the concern over Chinese labor flooding the market and leaving few jobs for the Americans. However, a result of the act was labor shortage in the western part of our country. Thus, there was a demand for Japanese immigrants who were good farm laborers and who would work for low wages. Another factor which helped stimulate Japanese immigration was a law passed by the Japanese Government in 1896. This Emigrants Protections Law required that each departing worker have someone responsible for his financial support so that if he became ill, he would not suffer. This law intended to keep those who emigrated well taken care of (Leathers, 12). Because of the financial requirements many families could not afford to support an emigrant to the United States. As a result, emigration companies furnished the Japanese emigrant with the necessary financial assistance and guaranteed him a job in the U.S. (Leathers, 12). The life of Japanese immigrants in America was not found to be what the average immigrant expected. Many found that the stories of the great wealth and the wonderful life in the United States were greatly exaggerated. Unskilled workers became agricultural laborers worked for lower wages than native Americans who were performing the same kind of work. The types of work which the Japanese found varied greatly. Farming, merchandising, domestic service, railways, factory work, canneries, dairying, plant nurseries, fisheries, and clerical tasks claimed most of the new immigrants. However, by 1920, there were also more than 350 Japanese-Americans employed as professionals (Leathers, 14-15). Most immigrants were men between the age of 20 and 40. The imbalance of men to women varied greatly, by about three to one. As a result, many Japanese men married women from