American History

Life between two cultures can be either enriching experience or social pressure when persons own nationality and political awareness are in question. As people say, without knowing the past it is impossible to create the future since national identity is one of the most important values for a community or ethnic group living abroad. That is why, by knowing the past and keeping own identity within the foreign society, the person can learn better who heshe is by developing own individuality, personality and spirituality.

In her autobiographical memoir Nisei Daughter Monica Sone describes how difficult it was for a Japanese immigrant girl to grow up in an American society before and during the World War II when she found herself caught between two cultures, languages, and realities. The book describes the cultural differences Issei generation (Sones parents) and Nissei generation (Sone) faced before the WWII, including language barrier, differences in values, religious conflicts, sex role expectations, economic adjustments, and important political events between Japan and the United States. Instead of using flashbacks to describe events of her life, Sones story is a chronological narrative providing readers with the high points of authors life.

A generation living their lives in flux between two cultures  that of an immigrant and that of an American person  fears of bringing up their children in an alien culture because one day their culture will simply be engulfed by the new and finally disappear. Mr. Itoi represents older Japanese generation of immigrants to the United States who were born and grown up in their own native country with strong national and cultural values. Though life forced these people to change the place of living due to external factors, their national and cultural identity remains strong and consistent despite any events and changes of the society they currently live in. However, their children, who get upbringing and education in a foreign country, have more chances to forget their roots and adapt to a foreign countrys life. There is often as much cultural difference between members of the older and younger generations as there is between members of two different nationalities. Assimilation, if it were desirable, is basically impossible, at least for the first (Issei) and second (Nissei) generations because they cannot escape their history and origin as younger immigrant generations (Sensei and Nikkei) can do.

Migration to a foreign country usually lead by assimilation and transition into foreign countrys culture, traditions and way of life if national and cultural identity are not followed. People immigrating to the United States had to adapt to the American culture and its way of life, otherwise, life can be too difficult inside the foreign country. However, adaption does not mean assimilation when the immigrant needs to keep hisher national identity. The book Nisei Daughter resolves around what it means to be American as well as how it is important to keep ones national and cultural identity while living in a foreign country. By growing within an American society Kazuko gradually becomes Americanized shifting away from her original Japanese culture. In the first chapter Kazuko was surprised to find out that she was Japanese and has to sacrifice her afternoon play hours to learn what it means to be Japanese. She did not feel comfortable outside her home when people kept saying we dont want Japs in our community, though Kazuko did not feel at ease at home as well when her family was speaking only Japanese and followed all their Japanese traditions, rules and etiquette. Kazukos wishes and ideas like studying ballet or having a boyfriend are often tolerated by her father who sees such behavior as opposite to their Japanese traditions since ballet is associated for him with geisha girls while future spouse of a young girl should be chosen by her parents.    

While growing within the American community by the parents with strong Japanese cultural and social beliefs, Kazuko would have wished to be an American. Though, life as a mixture of both American and Japanese traditions and values is inevitable for Kazuko, her brother Henry and even her parents by speaking both languages, celebrating holidays of both countries, and absorbing traditions and habits of both Japanese and American people. While being an alien to her original Japanese culture, Kazuko gradually changed her mind and feeling of belonging to this culture since the more she saw the pressure and discrimination toward Japanese people in the American society, the more she learnt about her original culture and defended it among her friends and other people. In Chapter 8 Kazuko expressed her anger toward FBI agents who ruined Japanese homes and businesses and who continued searching for reasons to oppress Japanese and send them away from America As I lay struggling to fall asleep, I realized that we hadnt freed ourselves at all from fear. Gradually Kazuko learned of terrible obstacles and consequences that Japanese had to face with since U.S. and Japan were no longer on the same page because of the war. By observing discrimination of Japanese people by Americans and all the horrors that war brought two main changes happened to Kazuko (a) she became proud of her Japanese origin and started to defend Japanese culture and traditions and (b) she learnt to endure that since she was born in U.S., she has all the rights to be called American citizen and live in this country Here we were born here we wanted to live.

The novel is full of conflicts racism versus multiculturalism, nationalism versus assimilation, and older generation versus younger generation. The author describes shift from one culture to another as a very difficult psychological experience since they may lose the feeling of their nationality and identity. Life between two worlds for Kazuko is a shift from being one person in some certain context and conditions to being another person in a different context and conditions without losing ones self-identity, feeling of nationality, principles and values this person follows during the life. However, it is also about overcoming all those distinctions, and Sones outlook is ultimately hopeful and optimistic. This story is about friendship, love, war, and cultural differences, as seen through the eyes of a Japanese girl living within the American society. The author emphasizes that whatever the background, it is vitally important for every person to keep hisher national and cultural identity, especially within the foreign community.