The relation between ethnic identity and mother tongue of Indo-china refugees in Japan.

• Project/Area Number: 15520325
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese language education
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: HIFUMI Tomoko University of Tsukuba, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Assistant Professor, 大学院人文社会科学研究科, 講師 (30316872)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2004
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2004)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000); Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000); Fiscal Year 2003: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000)
• Keywords: Indo-china refugee / ethnic identity / mother tongue / Japanese language / age of arrival / length of residence / self-esteem / アイデンティティ / 母文化 / エスニシティ / エスニック・アイデンティティ / 定住者 / 母語保持 / 定住外国人子弟 / 異文化間教育 / 共生

Research Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the ethnic identity of Indo-china refugees, factors which influence their ethnic identity, and the level of their mother tongue and Japanese language. By questionnaires and interview to them, many interesting points were made clear. Firstly, age of arrival(AOA) to Japan is quite important boundary not only for ethnic identity, but also their level of mother tongue and Japanese language. If AOA is younger than ten years old, the ethnic identity is weak, mother tongue is not acquired satisfactory, and on the contrary Japanese language is acquired enough. Secondly, ethnic identity is influenced by Japanese people's evaluation to their ethnicity, and strongly influenced by their mother tongue level. Ethnic identity of one whose mother tongue is fluent is so high. Lastly, ethnic identity and self-esteem is very closely related