ABSTRACT
Japaneseness has been defined in a variety of ways: as a cultural perspective of customs, dress, language and artifacts, as behavior patterns of stoicism and reserve, and as eastern philosophical beliefs based on Buddhism or Confucianism. The Issei grandparents enjoyed chatting in their native language as they played the Japanese card game hana, the Nisei parents socialized by reminiscing or comparing experiences, and the Sansei children just got to know each other. American-ness was a given and perhaps most relevant because most participants saw their Japaneseness embedded in their national identity. In Los Angeles, Sansei may be defined as Japanese American because of their association with the Japanese American Citizen’s League or with a Japanese Buddhist church group. The work of Japanese American anthropologist Dorinne Kondo provided a model for “insider” subjectivity in the research process. Data for Kondo’s ethnography of the Japanese workplace was gathered while she worked at a factory and lived with a Japanese family.
