ABSTRACT
Few ethnic groups in the United States have experienced the wide swings of fortune that have taken place with Americans of Japanese ancestry. Simultaneously, the first generation Japanese Americans, the Issei, many of whom never fully gave up their initial intent of returning to their homeland, were effectively deposed as rulers of their families. The Japanese Americans did an amazing job of rebuilding after the war. The Japanese Americans can be differentiated with reasonable consistency into age/generation categories. Social-sensitivity is intimately tied to a strong commitment to in-group custom, rules, and propriety. Clearly most of the specific death-related attitudes and behavior of Japanese Americans make sense within the framework of the related themes of social sensitivity and community cohesion. Several areas of Los Angeles became home for large numbers of Japanese Americans, in spite of some attempts at housing restrictions. Although many were gardeners and small shopkeepers, increasing numbers moved into teaching, business, and the professions.
