ABSTRACT
Language and citizenship are the two most frequently cited points of reference when cultural diversity is discussed in the field of education. The two official categories that the Japanese government employs to describe the increasing diversity of the student population are ‘foreign nationals (non-Japanese citizens)’ and ‘students who require instruction in Japanese as a second language (JSL).’ The two categories do not necessarily match. Fifthgeneration Korean nationals in Japan typically have Japanese as their sole language, while many Japanese-citizen children (of mixed marriage or otherwise) require JSL instruction. Japanese citizens of diverse ethnic heritages are made invisible in the public discourse since the government has not collected such data. In view of this, some local governments and professional bodies have adopted more nuanced categories such as ‘students with foreign roots’ and ‘students with special relationships with foreign countries.’ This chapter refers to them simply as ‘migrants’ (regardless of citizenship). 1
