Adaptation and Identity of Japanese Latin Americans - Through the Research on Students

2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 10610143
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 教育・社会系心理学
• Research Institution: TOKAI UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: TSUNOKAWA Masaki Forein Language Center Tokai University, Professor, 外国語教育センター, 教授 (90188607)
• Project Period (FY): 1998 – 2001
• Keywords: Japanese Latin Americans / Latin America Immigration / Immigration / Foreign Students / Mental Health / Identity / Spanish / Shinkeishitsu Questionnaire

Research Abstract

The investigator interviewed during these four years 45 male Japanese Latin American students and 39 females students applying the MMPI Spanish and Portuguese versions and also shinkeishitsu Questionnaire Spanish version. Through the interviews the students told about their experiences in each Latin American country ; Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay and Brazil. They also expressed various opinions and sentiments toward Japan and Japanese people.
The results of the above-mentioned psychological tests indicate that the Japanese Latin Americans' data are similar to those of Japanese people related to their personality. Some students even said that they had a kind of Taijin-Kyofu(Anthropophobic) tendency.
Japanese Latin American students are more or less stable from the viewpoint of mental health compared with Japanese Latin American workers. Nevertheless, they have conflicts related to their national identity. Some students say ; "I have been considered as a Japanese in my country, but I am now considered as a foreigner in Japan. " This comment expresses clearly the psychological status of Japanese Latin Americans. We should continue researches of this area. Because this is "our" problem.