ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of regionalism with respect to Asia and how it has generated a new version of the “Molecular Reinscription of Race”, which might be called “regional racialization” in genomics. It focuses on the dominant scientific literature of the mid- to late-twentieth century, which suggests that nation states and ethnicities are primarily social-political constructs. Japan was first politically unified in the seventh and eighth centuries, with the introduction and implementation of institutions of central government modeled after China. In addition, complex relationships exist between Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, and answers to the questions of who is Japanese, who is Korean, and who is Taiwanese/Chinese depend on historical and political contexts. Japan was an imperial and colonial power during the first half of the twentieth century. The dominant view among Koreans is that they all belong to a “unitary nation,” descending from a common ancestor, and, thus, are ethnically homogenous.
