Early Japanese Immigrant Experience in the U.S.

First generation Japanese immigrants kept their Japanese culture by celebrating national holidays, like the emperor’s birthday, and by planting bonzai trees and other cultural reminders of Japan. Some formed communes. Another reason that Japanese were better able to maintain their cultures was because of the immigration of women. Unlike some other cultural groups, Japanese men often came with their wives or would marry “picture brides."  Keeping family structure was a way of preserving culture.

Japanese also assimilated into American culture by adopting the English language and sending children to school and emphasizing education. Despite efforts at assimilation by many Japanese immigrants, they were treated poorly and were discriminated against in employment. They were paid less than their counterparts of different ethnic heritage and were given lesser accommodations. They were also ineligible for the same jobs as their white counterparts. As non-whites, Japanese immigrants were also ineligible for naturalization, despite efforts to Americanize.

Immigrant groups today face similar choices between maintaining culture from their homeland and assimilating into the dominant American culture, which is Euronormative and built for the success of Western values, ideals, and habits. In many domains, it is expected that immigrant groups assimilate and adopt American mores; it is hard to succeed in American society without adapting to certain societal expectations which can be as diverse as language, dress, treatment of time, forms of humor, grooming habits, and eating habits. Oftentimes American culture can conflict with expectations of one’s home culture. This can lead to spiritual and family tension surrounding identity and values.