Is it an advantage or not to be Nikkei?
Emi Kamatsu makes a historical development of Paraguay from the first immigrants to the present. It investigates the barriers of the countries receiving Japanese immigration: economic, political, cultural. The organizational, moral and ethical heritage of the Meiji era, the post-war expulsion of the kimines , their great contribution to cooperative and associative development despite segregation. Finally, generational and contextual change.
Stories from this series
Discrimination and social exclusion and access to Nikkei politics in the Americas*
June 19, 2007 • Emi Kasamatsu
According to the Immigration Law of 1903, Article XIV prohibited the entry of black and yellow immigrants into Paraguay. Countries such as Guatemala, Venezuela and Uruguay were in this same situation. In this regard, the Paraguayan historian Carlos A. Pastore said: “While other countries opened their doors to new immigrations, Paraguay closes its door to development. According to yellow immigration scholars, this anti-Asian stance had to do with the American conflict that led to the well-known “Gentleman Agreement.” It was …
Peculiar characteristics of the Nikkei of Paraguay. Comparative study with the Nikkei of the Americas
June 6, 2007 • Emi Kasamatsu
The beginning of the new millennium, which by the way has already been seven years, it would seem that things were going to change. However, the world continues to be in turmoil and corruption is becoming more and more accentuated, the economic crisis is worsening, violence is growing and poverty is reaching its highest levels in the region at 60%. This tangle of complexities occurs in most Latin American countries and in Paraguay in particular. However, it is interesting to …
The Nikkei identity and the connection between Nikkei youth in the Americas
May 22, 2007 • Emi Kasamatsu
Undoubtedly the identity between the Japanese and the Nikkei born on our continent differs substantially. The former maintain their Japanese identity as much as possible and try not to deteriorate that cultural way of life. While the Nisei and Sansei try to interact with the majority society starting in schools, universities and then in the workplace and social sphere. The Nisei carry within themselves two worlds, two identities, one Japanese and the other half the country where they were born …
The generational problem among the Nikkei of Paraguay
May 9, 2007 • Emi Kasamatsu
The Japanese who arrived in Paraguay from 1936 to 1941, that is, during the period before the Second World War, practically only those who came as young people and children in La Colmena remain. However, the influence exerted by these first immigrants on their descendants was and continues to be significant and, that this missing link of the Japanese soul of the post-Meiji era is still in force, it remains between the Japanese and Nisei of La Colmena, characterized by …
The Japanese language as the foundation of identity and the preservation of traditions and culture
April 24, 2007 • Emi Kasamatsu
Through careful observation, it is important to ascertain that the Nikkei of Paraguay along with those of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and San Juan of Bolivia are those who perhaps speak the Japanese language best and in number on the American continent. Knowledge of the language allows them to preserve the lifestyle and customs and even the characters and philosophy of life of their ancestors. For many Nisei, the Japanese language is the language of home, especially for those …
The importance of associativity among the Japanese, formation of associations, federations and charitable and sports entities
April 10, 2007 • Emi Kasamatsu
It is said that three Japanese people meet and an association is formed. Such is the need to group together to achieve a common objective in the search for benefits that benefit the group and its subsequent significance towards a community. This associative form is deeply embedded in the soul of the Japanese with the motto “two heads are worth more than one” and the value of working as a team and achieving balance between everyone. Group work can be …
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