Citizendia
Your Ad Here

Japanese Americans
Ellison OnizukaEric Shinseki
Norman Mineta
Total population

1,221,773
0. 4% of the US population[1]
Regions with significant populations
West Coast, Northeast, Hawaiʻi
Languages
American English, Japanese
Religions
Mahayana Buddhism, Shinto, Christianity

Japanese Americans (日系アメリカ人 Nikkei Amerikajin?) are Americans of Japanese heritage. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Japan is a western Pacific Ocean multi-archipelagic nation east of China in Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Japanese Americans are a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian Okinawa, a former independent nation, was annexed by Japan in the late nineteenth century. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest (at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity). Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian In the 2000 census, the largest Japanese American communities were in California with 394,896, Hawaii with 296,674, Washington with 56,210, New York with 45,237, and Illinois with 27,702. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Each year, about 7,000 new Japanese immigrants enter United States ports, making up about 4% of immigration from Asia; net migration, however, is significantly lower because some older Japanese Americans have been moving to Japan.

Contents

Cultural profile

Generations

Japanese Americans have special names for each of their generations in the United States. The first generation of immigrants, born in Japan or Okinawa before moving to the United States, is called Issei (一世). The second generation is Nisei (二世), third is Sansei (三世), fourth is Yonsei (四世) and fifth is Gosei (五世). The term Nikkei (日系) was coined by Japanese American sociologists and encompasses all of the world's Japanese immigrants across generations.

Languages

See also: Japanese language education in the United States

Issei and many Nisei speak Japanese or Okinawan in addition to English as a second language. Japanese language education in the United States began in the late 19th century aimed mainly at Japanese American children and conducted by parents and community institutions In general, later generations of Japanese Americans speak English as their first language, though some do learn Japanese later as a second language. In Hawaii however, where Nisei are about one-fifth of the whole population, Japanese is a major language, spoken and studied by many of the state's residents across ethnicities. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the It is taught in private Japanese language schools as early as the second grade. As a courtesy to the large number of Japanese tourists (from Japan), Japanese subtexts are provided on place signs, public transportation, and civic facilities. The Hawaii media market has a few locally produced Japanese language newspapers and magazines, however these are on the verge of dying out, due to a lack of interest on the part of the local (Hawaii-born) Japanese population. Stores that cater to the tourist industry often have Japanese-speaking personnel. To show their allegiance to the U. S. , many Niseis and Sanseis intentionally avoided learning Japanese. But as many of the later generations find their identities in both Japan and America, studying Japanese is becoming more popular than it once was.

Education

Japanese American culture places great value on education. Across generations, parents tend to instill their children with a deep value for higher education. As a result of such cultural ambition, math and reading scores on standardized tests often exceed national averages. A standardized test is a test administered and scored in a consistent manner They fill gifted classrooms and have the largest showing of any ethnic group in nationwide Advanced Placement testing each year. The Advanced Placement Program is a program that offers college level courses at High schools across the United States and Canada.

Most Japanese Americans obtain advanced college degrees. Japanese Americans once again face stereotyping as dominating the sciences in colleges and universities across the United States, while in reality, there is an equal distribution of Japanese Americans across academic disciplines in the arts and humanities in addition to the sciences.

Intermarriage

Before the 1960s, the trend of Japanese Americans marrying partners outside their racial or ethnic group was generally low, as well a great many traditional Issei parents encouraged Nisei to marry only within their ethnic/cultural group and arrangements to purchase and invite picture brides from Japan to relocate and marry Issei or Nisei males was commonplace. The term picture bride refers to the practice in the early 20th century of Immigrant workers (chiefly Japanese and Korean in Hawaii and the

In California and other western states until the end of world war II, there were attempts to make it illegal for Japanese and other Asian Americans to marry whites or Caucasians, but those laws are declared unconstitutional by the US supreme court the same manner like anti-miscegenation laws prevented whites from marrying African-Americans in the 1960s. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Miscegenation (Latin miscere "to mix" + genus "kind" is the mixing of different racial groups, that is marrying, cohabiting

According to a 1990 statistical survey by the Japan Society of America, the Sansei or third generations have an estimated 20 to 30 percent out-of-group marriage, while the 4th generation or Yonsei approaches nearly 50 percent. The rate for Japanese women to marry Caucasian and other Asian men is becoming more frequent, but lower rates for Hispanic and American Indian men (although the number of Cherokee Indians in California with Japanese ancestry is much reported), and with African-American men is even smaller. The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact

During the WWII Internment era, the US Executive Order 9066 had an inclusion of orphaned infants with "one drop of Japanese blood" (as explained in a letter by one official) or the order stated anyone at least one eighth Japanese (descended from any intermarriage) lends credence to the argument that the measures were racially motivated, rather than a military necessity. United States Executive Order 9066 was a presidential executive order issued during World War II by U

There were sizable numbers of Korean-Japanese, Chinese-Japanese, Filipino-Japanese, Mexican-Japanese, Native Hawaiian-Japanese and Cherokee-Japanese in California according to the 1940 US census whom were eligible for internment as "Japanese" to indicate the first stage of widespread intermarriage of Japanese Americans, including those who passed as "white" or half-Asian/Caucasian.

Religion

Japanese Americans (commonly) practice a wide range of religions, including Mahayana Buddhism (Jodo Shinshu, Jodo Shu, Nichiren, and Zen forms being most prominent) which is the majority, Shinto, and Christianity. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings In many ways, due to the longstanding nature of Buddhist and Shinto practices in Japanese society, many of the cultural values and traditions commonly associated with Japanese tradition have been strongly influenced by these religious forms.

A large number of the Japanese American community continue to practice Buddhism in some form, and a number of community traditions and festivals continue to center around Buddhist institutions. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices For example, one of the most popular community festivals is the annual Obon Festival, which occurs in the summer, and provides an opportunity to reconnect with their customs and traditions and to pass these traditions and customs to the young. For the spanish municipality see Obón. or just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased Spirits These kinds of festivals are most popular in communities with large populations of Japanese Americans, such as in southern California or Hawaiʻi. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the It should be noted however, that many Japanese people both in and out of Japan are secular as Shinto and Buddhism is most often practiced by rituals such as marriages or funerals, and not through faithful worship, as defines religion for many Americans.

For Japanese American Christians, the church is one of the most important cultural foundations. In California, Hawaiʻi and Washington, congregations can be composed entirely of Japanese Americans. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. In the rest of the country they tend to be accepted in predominately white churches.

Celebrations

Japanese American celebrations tend to be more sectarian in nature and focus on the community-sharing aspects. An important annual festival for Japanese Americans is the Obon Festival, which happens in July or August of each year. For the spanish municipality see Obón. or just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased Spirits Across the country, Japanese Americans gather on fair grounds, churches and large civic parking lots and commemorate the memory of their ancestors and their families through folk dances and food. Carnival booths are usually set up so Japanese American children have the opportunity to play together.

Major Celebrations in the United States
Date Name Region
January 1 Shōgatsu New Year's Celebration nationwide
February Japanese Heritage Fair Honolulu, HI
February to March Cherry Blossom Festival Honolulu, HI
March 3 Hina Matsuri (Girls' Day) nationwide
March Honolulu Festival Honolulu, HI
March Hawaiʻi International Taiko Festival Honolulu, HI
March International Cherry Blossom Festival Macon, GA
March to April National Cherry Blossom Festival Washington, DC
April Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival San Francisco, CA
April Pasadena Cherry Blossom Festival Pasadena, CA
April Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival Seattle, WA
May 5 Tango no Sekku (Boys' Day) nationwide
May Shinnyo-En Toro-Nagashi (Memorial Day Floating Lantern Ceremony) Honolulu, HI
June Pan-Pacific Festival Matsuri in Hawaiʻi Honolulu, HI
July 7 Tanabata Festival nationwide
July-August Obon Festival nationwide
August Nihonmachi Street Fair San Francisco, CA
August Nisei Week / Tofu Festival Los Angeles, CA

History

Main article: Japanese American history

The history of Japanese Americans begins in the mid nineteenth century. The Japanese celebrate New Year's Day on January 1 each year Before 1873 the date of the was based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar and celebrated at The Japanese, or Girls' Day is held on March 3, the third day of the third month means " Drum " in Japanese (etymologically "great" or "wide drum" The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring celebration in Washington D Festál at Seattle Center is a program of annual ethnically -related festivals that take place on the grounds of Seattle Center in Seattle Washington Kodomo no Hi (こどもの日 meaning " Children's Day " is a Japanese national Holiday which takes place annually on May 5, the fifth meaning "Evening of the seventh" is a Japanese Star Festival, derived from the Chinese star festival Qi Xi (七夕 " For the spanish municipality see Obón. or just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the departed (deceased Spirits Nisei Week is an annual festival celebrating Japanese American (JA culture and history in Little Tokyo Los Angeles. Los Angeles Tofu Festival, usually known as Tofu Festival or Tofu Fest, is a weekend Matsuri held every August in Little Tokyo Los Angeles from Japanese people's migration to the Americas started with migration to Hawaii in the first year of the Meiji era in 1868

Immigration

People from Japan began migrating to the U. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. S. in significant numbers following the political, cultural, and social changes stemming from the 1868 Meiji Restoration. The, also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan 's political and social structure Particularly after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Japanese immigrants were sought by industrialists to replace the Chinese immigrants. The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States federal law passed on May 6 1882 following revisions made in 1880 to the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 In 1907, the "Gentlemen's Agreement" between the governments of Japan and the U. The was an informal agreement between the United States and the Empire of Japan whereby the U S. ended immigration of Japanese workers (i. e. , men), but permitted the immigration of spouses of Japanese immigrants already in the U. S. The Immigration Act of 1924 banned the immigration of all but a token few Japanese. The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson-Reed Act, including the National Origins Act, Asian Exclusion Act, (43 Statutes-at-Large 153 was a United

The ban on immigration produced unusually well-defined generational groups within the Japanese American community. Initially, there was an immigrant generation, the Issei, and their U. Issei ( 一世, first generation is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify S. -born children, the Nisei. Nisei ( 二世, second generation is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify The Issei were exclusively those who had immigrated before 1924. Because no new immigrants were permitted, all Japanese Americans born after 1924 were--by definition--born in the U. S. This generation, the Nisei, became a distinct cohort from the Issei generation in terms of age, citizenship, and English language ability, in addition to the usual generational differences. Institutional and interpersonal racism led many of the Nisei to marry other Nisei, resulting in a third distinct generation of Japanese Americans, the Sansei. Sansei ( 三世, third generation is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America, South America and Australia to specify Significant Japanese immigration did not occur until the Immigration Act of 1965 ended 40 years of bans against immigration from Japan and other countries. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ( Hart-Celler Act, INS Act of 1965,) abolished the national-origin Quotas that had been in place in the

The Naturalization Act of 1790 restricted naturalized U. The original United States Naturalization Law of March 26 1790 ( provided the first rules to be followed by the United States in the granting of national Citizenship S. citizenship to "free white persons," which excluded the Issei from citizenship. As a result, the Issei were unable to vote, and faced additional restrictions such as the inability to own land under many state laws.

Japanese Americans were parties in several important Supreme Court decisions, including Ozawa v. United States (1922) and Korematsu v. United States (1943). Takao Ozawa v United States, 260 US 178 (1922 was a case in which the United States Supreme Court found Takao Ozawa a Japanese man ineligible for Korematsu v United States, 323 US 214 (1944 was a landmark United States Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order Korematsu is the origin of the "strict scrutiny" standard, which is applied, with great controversy, in government considerations of race since the 1989 Adarand Constructors v. Peña decision. Strict scrutiny is the most stringent standard of Judicial review used by United States courts reviewing federal law Adarand Constructors Inc v Peña,, is a United States Supreme Court case which held that all racial classifications imposed by whatever federal state

In recent years, immigration from Japan has been more like that from Western Europe: low and usually related to marriages between U. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' S. citizens and Japanese (usually Japanese women), with some via employment preferences. The number is on average 5 to 10 thousand per year, and is similar to the amount of immigration to the U. S. from Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This is in stark contrast to the rest of Asia, where family reunification is the primary impetus for immigration. Japanese Americans also have the oldest demographic structure of any non-white ethnic group in the U. S. ; in addition, in the younger generations, due to intermarriage with whites, non-whites, and other Asian groups, part-Japanese are more common than full Japanese, and it appears as if this physical assimilation will continue at a rapid rate. A region or society where several different groups are spontaneously assimilated is sometimes referred to as a Melting pot.

Internment

Main article: Japanese American internment

During WWII, an estimated 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese residing in the United States were forcibly interned in ten different camps across the US, mostly in the west. Japanese American internment refers to the forcible relocation and Internment of approximately 110000 Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans to housing Japanese American internment refers to the forcible relocation and Internment of approximately 110000 Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans to housing The internments were based on the race or ancestry rather than activities of the interned. Families, including children, were interned together.

For the most part, the internees remained in the camps until the end of the war, when they left the camps to rebuild their lives in the West Coast. Several Japanese Americans have started lawsuits against the U. S. government regarding what they perceive as a wrongful internment. The lawsuits have dragged on for decades.

World War II Service

Many Japanese Americans served with great distinction during World War II in the American forces. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team/100th Infantry Battalion is one of the most highly decorated unit in U. The 442nd Infantry, formerly the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was an Asian American unit composed of mostly Japanese S. military history. Composed of Japanese Americans, the 442nd/100th fought valiantly in the European Theater. The 522nd Nisei Field Artillery Battalion was one of the first units to liberate the prisoners of the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau. Hawaiʻi Senator Daniel K. Inouye is a veteran of the 442nd. Additionally the Military Intelligence Service consisted of Japanese Americans who served in the Pacific Front.

Redress

Main article: Japanese American redress and court cases

In the U. The following focuses on significant court cases that have shaped civil and human rights for Japanese Americans, as well as for other Minorities. S. , the right to redress is defined as a constitutional right, as it is decreed in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Redress may be defined as follows:

Reparation is defined as:

The campaign for redress against internment was launched by Japanese Americans in 1978. The Japanese American Citizens’ League (JACL) asked for three measures to be taken as redress: $25,000 to be awarded to each person who was detained, an apology from Congress acknowledging publicly that the U. S. government had been wrong, and the release of funds to set up an educational foundation for the children of Japanese American families. Under the 2001 budget of the United States, it was also decreed that the ten sites on which the detainee camps were set up are to be preserved as historical landmarks: “places like Manzanar, Tule Lake, Heart Mountain, Topaz, Amache, Jerome, and Rohwer will forever stand as reminders that this nation failed in its most sacred duty to protect its citizens against prejudice, greed, and political expediency” (Tateishi and Yoshino 2000). Manzanar is most widely known as the site of one of ten camps where over 110000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II. Each of these concentration camps was surrounded by barbed wire and contained at least ten thousand forced detainees.

Life under United States policies before and after World War II

Main articles: Japanese American life pre-World War II and Japanese American life post-World War II

Like most of the American population, Japanese immigrants came to the U. Like most of the American population Japanese immigrants came to the U On February 19 1942 President Franklin D Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 relocating 120000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast into internment camps for the duration of the war S. in search of a better life. Some planned to stay and build families here in the states, while others wanted to save money from working stateside to better themselves in the country from which they had come. Before the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese residents experienced a moderate level of hardship that was pretty typical for any minority group at the time.

Farming

Japanese Americans have made significant contributions to the agriculture of the western United States, particularly in California and Hawaii. Nineteenth century Japanese immigrants introduced sophisticated irrigation methods that enabled the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and flowers on previously marginal lands.

While the Issei (1st generation Japanese Americans) prospered in the early 20th century, most lost their farms during the internment. Although this was the case, Japanese Americans remain involved in these industries today, particularly in southern California and to some extent, Arizona by the areas' year-round agricultural economy, and descendants of Japanese pickers who adapted farming in Oregon and Washington state. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States.

Japanese American detainees irrigated and cultivated lands nearby the World War II internment camps, which were located in desolate spots such as Poston, in the Arizona desert, and Tule Lake, California, at a dry mountain lake bed. Poston is a Census-designated place (CDP in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. Tule Lake is an Intermittent lake covering an area of 13000 Acres (53 km² 8 California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Due to their tenacious efforts, these farm lands remain productive today.

Politics

See also: Japanophobia

Japanese Americans have shown strong support for candidates in both political parties. Anti-Japanese sentiment involves Hatred, grievance distrust Dehumanization, Intimidation, Fear, Hostility, and/or general dislike Leading up to the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election, Japanese Americans narrowly favored Democrat John Kerry by a 42% to 38% margin over Republican George W. Bush. The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Tuesday November 2, 2004, to elect the President of the United States. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. [2]

Neighborhoods and communities

See also: Japantown

The US west coast

Outside the US west coast

Notable individuals

See also: List of Japanese Americans

After the Territory of Hawaiʻi's statehood in 1959, Japanese American political empowerment took a step forward with the election of Daniel K. Inouye to Congress. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Yuma County is located in the southwestern corner of the US state of Arizona. The following is a list of notable Japanese Americans who have made significant contributions to the United States, or have appeared in the News numerous The Territory of Hawaii, abbreviated officially as TH, was established on July 7, 1898 and dissolved on August 21, 1959 when is an American politician who currently serves as the senior United States Senator from Hawaii. Inouye's success led to the gradual acceptance of Japanese American leadership on the national stage, culminating in the appointments of Eric Shinseki and Norman Y. Mineta, the first Japanese American military chief of staff and federal cabinet secretary, respectively. General Eric Ken Shinseki (born November 28, 1942) was the 34th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1999 - 2003 born November 12, 1931) is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. A Cabinet Secretary is almost always a senior official (almost always a civil servant who provides services and advice to a Cabinet of Ministers.

Many Japanese Americans have also gained prominence in the arts and sciences. These include Minoru Yamasaki, architect of the World Trade Center, and Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American astronaut and the mission specialist aboard Challenger at the time of its explosion. was an American Architect best known for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Center buildings 1 and 2 The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan Ellison Shoji Onizuka ( June 24, 1946 - January 28, 1986) was a Japanese-American Astronaut from Kealakekua, An astronaut or cosmonaut (космона́вт) is a person trained The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster took place on January 28 1986 when ''Challenger'', a Space Shuttle operated by NASA, broke apart Poet laureate of San Francisco Janice Mirikitani has published three volumes of poems. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Artist Sueo Serisawa helped establish the California Impressionist style of painting. Sueo Serisawa ( April 10, 1910 - September 7 2004) was a Japanese American who became an important Modernist of the

Japanese Americans first made an impact in Olympic sports in the late 1940s and in the 1950s. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Harold Sakata won a weightlifting silver medal in the 1948 Olympics, while Japanese Americans Tommy Kono (weightlifting), Yoshinobu Oyakawa (100-meter backstroke), and Ford Konno (1500-meter freestyle) each won gold and set Olympic records in the 1952 Olympics. Toshiyuki "Harold" Sakata ( July 1, 1920 – July 29, 1982) was a Japanese American professional wrestler and film Tamio "Tommy" Kono (born June 27, 1930) was a US weightlifter in the 1950s and 1960s Yoshinobu ("Yoshi" Oyakawa (born August 9, 1933 on the Kona side of the Big Island of Hawaii) was a Backstroke Ford Hiroshi Konno (born January 1, 1933) is a former freestyle Swimmer from the United States, who swam at McKinley High Konno won another gold and silver swimming medal at the same Olympics and added a silver medal in 1956, while Kono set another Olympic weightlifting record in 1956. Also at the 1952 Olympics, Evelyn Kawamoto won two bronze medals in swimming.

More recently, Eric Sato won gold (1988) and bronze (1992) medals in volleyball, while his sister Liane Sato won bronze in the same sport in 1992. Eric Anthony Sato (born May 5, 1966 in Santa Monica California) is a former American Volleyball player who was a member of the United Liane Lissa Sato (born September 9, 1964 in Santa Monica California) is a retired female Volleyball player from the United States Hapa Bryan Clay won the silver medal in the 2004 decathlon and was the sport's 2005 world champion. "Hapa" is a Hawaiian term used to describe a person of mixed Asian or Pacific Islander racial/ethnic heritage Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay (born January 3 1980 is an American Decathlete. Apolo Anton Ohno won five Olympic medals in short-track speed skating (two gold) in 2002 and 2006, as well as a world cup championship.

In figure skating, Kristi Yamaguchi won three national championships (one individual, two in pairs), two world titles, and the 1992 Olympic Gold medal. Kristine Tsuya "Kristi" Yamaguchi- Hedican (born July 12 1971) is an American figure skater and the 1992 Olympic Champion Rena Inoue took first place in the 2004 and 2006 U. Rena Inoue (born October 17, 1976 in Nishinomiya Hyōgo, Japan) is an American Pair skater. S. Figure Skating Championships Pairs competition. Mirai Nagasu won the 2008 U. Mirai Aileen Nagasu (born April 16 1993 is an American figure skater. S. national championship at the age of 14.

In distance running, Miki (Michiko) Gorman won the Boston and New York City marathons twice in the 1970s. Miki ("Michiko" Suwa Gorman (born 1935 in China) was one of America's foremost women's marathoners during the mid 1970s The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon sporting event hosted by the city of Boston, Massachusetts The New York City Marathon ( ING New York City Marathon for Sponsorship reasons is a major annual marathon (42 A former American record holder at the distance, she is the only woman to win both races twice, and is the only woman to win both marathons in the same year.

In professional sports, Wataru Misaka broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947-48 season, when he played for the New York Knicks. Wataru "Wat" Misaka ( Japanese: 三阪 亙 Misaka Wataru) (born December 21, 1923 in Ogden, Utah, U Misaka also played a key role in Utah's NCAA and NIT basketball championships in 1944 and 1947. The University of Utah (referred to locally as ' The U' or ' the U of U') is a publicly funded Research university in Salt Lake The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination Tournament held each spring featuring 65 College basketball teams in the The National Invitation Tournament (NIT is a men's college Basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Lindsey Yamasaki was the first Asian American to play in the WNBA and finished off her NCAA career with the third-highest career 3-pointers at Stanford University. Lindsey Brooke Yamasaki (born June 2, 1980 in Oregon City Oregon) is an American former professional Women's basketball player Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in

Hikaru Nakamura became the youngest American ever to earn the titles of National Master (age 10) and International Grandmaster (age 15) in chess. For the football player with a similar name see Haruki Nakamura. In 2004, at the age of 16, he won the U.S. Chess Championship. The US Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national Chess champion

Japanese Americans now anchor TV newscasts in markets all over the country. Notable anchors include Tritia Toyota, Adele Arakawa, David Ono, Kent Ninomiya, and Lori Matsukawa. Adele Arakawa (born August 31 1958 is an American evening news anchor for NBC affiliate station KUSA-TV of Denver Colorado. Kent Ninomiya is the first male Asian American Broadcast journalist to be a primary News anchor of an American television station

George Takei (of Star Trek fame) and Pat Morita (Happy Days) helped pioneer acting roles for Asian Americans while playing secondary roles on the small screen during the 1960s and 1970s. George Hosato Takei (born April 20, 1937) is an American actor of Japanese descent best known for his role in the TV series Star Trek Noriyuki "Pat" Morita Morita Noriyuki)--> ( Happy Days is an American Television sitcom that originally aired from 1974 to 1984 on ABC. Today, Masi Oka plays a prominent role in the NBC series Heroes and Grant Imahara appears on the Discovery Channel series MythBusters. Masi Oka (born, December 27, 1974) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-nominated Japanese American Actor and digital effects artist The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Heroes is an American Science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring, which premiered on NBC on September Grant Masaru Imahara (born October 23, 1970 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Electronics and Radio Discovery Channel is an American Satellite and Cable TV channel (also delivered via IPTV, Terrestrial television and MythBusters is a Popular science Television program produced by Australian firm Beyond Television Productions originally for the

Notable Japanese American musicians include singer, actress and Broadway star Pat Suzuki, rapper Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and Fort Minor, guitarist James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins fame, singer, voice actress and Japanese expatriate Mari Iijima, Shodo Artist, J-Poet, Gravure Idols and BURN Flame Miki Ariyama and famous J-pop superstar Hikaru Utada

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ US Census Bureau, Japanese alone or in combination in 2005. Pat Suzuki (born September 23, 1934) is an American popular singer and actress who is best known for her role in the original Broadway Michael Kenji Shinoda (born February 11 1977 is an American Musician, record producer and Artist from Agoura Hills California. Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Fort Minor is a Hip hop music side project of Mike Shinoda, vocalist of the rock band Linkin Park. James Yoshinobu Iha ( Japanese 井葉吉伸 Iha Yoshinobu or ジェームス・イハ Jēmusu Iha) born March 26, 1968 in The Smashing Pumpkins are an American Alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988 is a Japanese Singer-songwriter who has released various top 10 Albums in Japan also known by her fans as, is a Singer-songwriter, Arranger and Record producer in Japan. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian Notable Asian Canadians Ken Adachi, Toronto Star writer Mikey Bustos, singer Canadian Idol finalist of Filipino ancestry The Japanese American Citizens League was formed in 1929 to protect the rights of Japanese Americans from the state and federal governments The Japanese American National Library is a Non-lending library and resource center in San Francisco's Japantown for the collection and preservation of materials relating The Japanese American National Museum opened its doors in 1992 Japanese Canadians are Canadians of Japanese ancestry and are largely concentrated on the west coast especially in and around Vancouver. A Japanese Brazilian' (日系ブラジル人 in Kanji and Kana Japanese writing nikkei burajiru-jin in Rōmaji Japanese Japanese British people (or Japanese Britons) are citizens or full time residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the The are the dominant Ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent of these approximately 127 million are residents of Japan The Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP is a Non-profit 501(c(3 organization documenting preserving and exhibiting history of Japanese American The Pacific Movement of the Eastern World (PMEW was a North American based pro-Japanese movement of African Americans which promoted the idea that Model minority refers to a Minority Ethnic, racial, or religious group whose members achieve a higher degree of Success The following is a list of notable Japanese Americans who have made significant contributions to the United States, or have appeared in the News numerous Retrieved on 2006-12-16. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion
  2. ^ Lobe, Jim (September 16, 2004), “Asian-Americans lean toward Kerry”, AsiaTimes, <http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/FI16Aa01.html> 

External links

Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Northern California is the northern portion of the US state of California. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic