A Study about Trans-National Historical Experiences on the Discriminated Minority Group BURAKU-MIN Immigrants among the Japanese Americans

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00115
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01040:History of thought-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Metropolitan University (2022); Osaka City University (2018-2021)
• Principal Investigator: HIROOKA Kiyonobu 大阪公立大学, 人権問題研究センター, 准教授 (30548350)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 友常 勉 東京外国語大学, 大学院国際日本学研究院, 教授 (20513261) ; 関口 寛 同志社大学, 人文科学研究所, 准教授 (20323909)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 部落差別 / 日系人強制収容 / 日本国憲法 / 人種主義 / 移民 / 国際労働力移動 / 情報化 / 研究倫理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our study is a joint study on Buraku-min immigrants among Japanese Americans. Buraku-min is a minority group who were from discriminated districts called Buraku. Through critical reading historical materials and researches written in Japanese or in English, those which had been made in both Japan and United States, and also having several survey trips, firstly, we confirmed the Buraku-min immigrants. And second, we clarified that such discrimination among Japanese Americans was grasped in the WWII Incarceration, that the U.S. Army and governmental researchers mentioned the cases in their reports. Third, we proposed our hypothesis about the connection between the occupation policy of Japan and the management of internment camps from the perspective of bio-politics.
We also studied the issues surrounding information technology, revisionism and recent Dowa policy. Because those are related to the social environment engaged with how publish our works related to discrimination issues.

Free Research Field

思想史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで言語的および地理的制約のため近現代部落史研究で解明が進んでこなかった課題について成果を出したことで、新たな研究課題として関心を集めている。また移民研究や占領期研究、日本国憲法制定史研究にたいしては、注目されてこなかった問題に一石を投じた。
さらに、本研究は日米の国際共同研究へと発展し、日系移民のなかのマイノリティの比較研究、強制収容史研究を深める視点を提供した。ともに、今後の展開が期待される。
また、情報化という情況にかかわる批判的考察は、そもそも全国部落史研究会のプロジェクトに関わっての学術と社会との接点をめぐる論点整理であり、一連の議論は図書館関係からも参照されている。