"The case study of second-generation immigrant's identity in Japan : the cases of fluent bilinguals with Chinese roots"

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The immigrant population in present-day Japan is increasing rapidly. Though the largest immigrant group is Chinese, only a few studies have focused on the identity of second-generation Chinese individuals, including Chinese/Japanese "hāfu" who have one Chinese and one Japanese parent, or the 1.5-generation who have Chinese parents but moved to Japan before turning 18. For second-generation immigrants, segmented assimilation theory underscores the positive effects on self-esteem of fluent bilingualism, homeland visits, and co-ethnic social capital. However, the political relationship between Japan and China is often antagonistic. Even if second-generation Chinese visit China or communicate with other immigrants in Japan to learn the Chinese language, a stigma might still be attached to their ethnic roots. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with second-generation Chinese individuals in Japan. It was found that while some respondents were fluently bilingual, they were often stigmatized for their hybrid identity in both Japan and China. The individual cases considered herein show the positive effects of attaining bilingual fluency, and illustrate the complexity of social categories, discourses of "bloodline," and the possibilities of migration.

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