The Japanese American Community

The reality of Japanese-American people has been a growing phenomenom for many decades.  The community of persons with both Japanese and American ancestry was established first through immigration of Japanese people to the United States.  This took place before World War II and then even more afterward.  Unfortunately, Japanese immigration has been perceived by many, including Japanese-Americans themselves, as being small.  However, it may surprise you to know that between 1965 and 2000 there were 176,000 immigrants from Japan!

Japanese-born wives of American citizens account for half of all Japanese immigrants to the United States.  In addition, over sixty percent of all Japanese-Americans reside in two states:  California (34%) and Hawaii (26%).  According to the U.S. Census, Japanese immigration appears to be decreasing on paper.  Some of the likely causes for this would include low birth rates, high rates of outmarriage, assimilation, and lower immigration across the board.  Even so, it is still a fact that 1.15 million Americans claim at least partial Japanese ancestry.

The historical statistics show exactly the opposite though.  From a historical perspective, the Japanese-American community has nearly doubled since 1970 and it has more than tripled since 1950.  Looking at it from history's viewpoint it is undeniable that Japanese-American intermarriages to non-Japanese have risen rapidly, and progressively, since the end of World War II.  Such marriages were once illegal in the United States due to anti-miscegenation laws, segregation, and ethnic preferences.  The status of such intermarraiages breaks down like this:  10% in 1950, 30% in 1980, and 40% in 1990.  It is because of intermarriage that the emergence of this large and growing mixed ancestry of Japanese-Americans has taken place over time.  After all, this is what being an American is really about!

Harlan Urwiler

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