ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the experiential aspects of alienation, not only as revealed in suicide, but also in juvenile delinquency. It looks at meaningful explanations to help understand why the behavior of Japanese-Americans goes counter to many of the sociological predictions related to the effects of discrimination and minority status of populations migrating into American urban centers. The overall cultural homogeneity of Japanese society in Tokyo creates residential patterns in which ethnic divergence or minority status are relatively absent. While economic factors are important in the maintenance of family cohesion, it is significant that cohesive families better endure economic hardship together. Too large a proportion of Burakumin youth continue to be debilitated both psychologically and socially by minority status and its influence on family life within the ghetto. The present minority status of Koreans in Japan is due to historical circumstances different from those of the Burakumin at the turn of the century.
