Diverse Pathways to "Ethnic" Identities in a Rapidly Diversifying Ethnic Group: Searching for Belonging and Forging Community Among Japanese Canadians

Today's Japanese Canadian (JC) community is increasingly diverse. As a direct result of JC incarceration and displacement during WWII, an incredibly high interracial marriage rate has meant that younger generations in the community have increasingly mixed identities. Adding to this heterogeneity, pre-war and post-war families have varying (and sometimes directly contrasting) relationalities to Japan and Japanese-ness more broadly. This roundtable will explore the intersections and nuances of Japanese Canadian identities in their multiplicity.

As Japanese Canadians with diverse identities and histories themselves, faculty members and graduate students will present and reflect on research topics related to JC identity. The roundtable will begin with a brief overview of relevant Japanese Canadian historical contexts.

Following this introduction, the first presenter will share their research on everyday experiences of (mis)racialization, racism, and decolonial positionality among mixed individuals with Japanese and White (European, Latin, Canadian, etc.) ancestral backgrounds. The discussion will focus on the "gendered" experience of mixed Japanese identity in areas such as online dating, body image, professional presentation, culinary practices, and cultural food consumption and production.

Our second presenter will delve into the phenomenon of attributional ambiguity experienced by Japanese Canadian youth of multiple identities. Specifically, they will explore the challenges and insights arising from mixed race and queer JC identity as youth attempt to identify and process racism, homophobia, and transphobia. Implications for self-advocacy, activism, and community involvement will be discussed.

Our third contributor will explore barriers to Japanese Canadian community engagement and inclusion experienced by Japanese speaking adults ages 50+. Major themes to explore include: complex identity and sense of (non) belonging to Japan and the Japanese community in Canada; traumatic experiences and rejection from Canadian society and the community; as well as internalization of shame and sense of self-responsibility.

Our last speaker will share some of the positive outcomes of the participatory action research done by the Japanese Canadian Arts and Activism Project (JCAAP). JCAAP's research team brings together pre- and post-war Japanese Canadians of different generations, heritages, and positionalities more broadly. Looking at the research process itself, the discussion will explore how being a part of JCAAP has shaped team members' self-understanding and connection to JC identity.

Concluding the roundtable, space will be held for attendees to share questions or reflections. While the focus of the symposium is primarily on Japanese Canadian communities, we believe that these research insights contribute to our understanding of diasporic and intersectional identities more broadly. As our communities continue to diversify, we hope this discussion will spark conversation about the futurity of our identities across time and social space. space.