An exhibit, "Common Ground: The Heart of Community," tells the story of Japanese Americans in the United States as an example of a vibrant ethnic group that survived hard times and continue to stay together. The exhibit is housed in the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Los Angeles (California). This paper describes and…

For one Sansei (third-generation Japanese American) university student who had been brought up by her Japanese grandparents, questions of who she was and how much upbringing and personal experiences had molded her were with her constantly. She questioned how much of her grandfather's and her mother's high expectations had to do with her lack of…

A study of the current status of Japanese Americans is divided into three sections. Following a brief introduction, a background section provides an overview of Japanese American history, population size and socioeconomic measures, and selected social characteristics. A second section looks in greater depth at socioeconomic status as reported in…

Japanese Americans experience acculturative change while retaining some elements of cultural identity. Differences in the patterning of personality needs among Japanese American women over time illustrate the balance of these two elements. Japanese American female undergraduates completed the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) in 1971…

This paper proposes that the automatic use of therapeutic approaches devised for Americans and Europeans with clients belonging to different cultures may be counter-productive. Cultural differences between Caucasian-Americans and Japanese-Americans are examined and general elements to be considered in counseling Japanese-Americans are explained.…

Drawing attention to different models of storytelling, this paper summarizes information about specific aspects of children's oral narrative structure in several cultures and explores some implications these aspects have for multicultural education programs that include stories. The paper first describes a methodology for trying to understand…

This comparative historical analysis examines the official attitude of the Seattle (Washington) Public Schools toward Americanization and ethnic groups, specifically Japanese Americans, between 1916 and 1942. The paper contains seven major sections including: (1) "Objective and Rationale for Studying Seattle"; (2) "Methodology and…

A research study was conducted to explore if and how cultural elements operate to facilitate or inhibit the meeting of needs that constitute successful adaptation to old age among Japanese Americans. Anthropological techniques of participant-observation, informal and structured interviews, and a survey were used as research methods. Formal…

A study was done that compared the parental involvement of three generations of Japanese Americans in their children's education, particularly their involvement in academic work and extracurricular activities and perceived barriers to involvement. First generation Japanese American immigrants are called "Isseis" in Japanese; second…

Several research studies have looked at Japanese-American interaction with other ethnic groups in Hawaii. A study by McCandless and Hoyt, "Sex, Ethnicity, and Play Preferences of Preschool Children," reveals that children in Hawaii base their choice of friends on racial distinctions. This is due, however, not to racial hostility or…