Issei

Issei (一世, literally, "first generation") is a Japanese language term used in countries in North America and South America to name the Japanese people who immigrated. The emigrants or immigrants who were born in Japan are called Issei; and their children born in the new country are called Nisei (second generation). The grandchildren of Issei are called Sansei (third generation).^[1]

The character and uniqueness of the Issei is recognized in its social history.^[2]

History

The first Japanese-Brazilian (Nipo-brasileiros) immigrants arriving aboard the Kassato Maru Archived 2010-05-25 at the Wayback Machine in 1908. They would call themselves Issei.

The earliest organized group of Japanese emigrants settled in Mexico in 1897.^[3]

Imigration to Brazil began in 1908. Today, the community established by the Issei has become the largest Japanese emigrant population outside of Japan, including approximately 1.5 million Brazilians.^[4] Other Issei established themselves in the United States,^[5] Canada,^[6] and Peru.^[7]

In the 1930s, the term Issei came into common use. The word replaced the term "immigrant" (ijusha). This change in usage mirrored an evolution in the way the Issei looked at themselves. The label Issei also included the idea of belonging to the new country.^[6] Other terns like Nisei were modeled after this Issei pattern or template.

Cultural profile

The term Nikkei (日系) was created by sociologists in the late 20th century. The Nikkei include all of the world's Japanese immigrants and their descendants.^[8]

The Issei were born in Japan, and their cultural perspective was primarily Japanese; but they were in America by choice.^[9] Their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren grew up with a national and cultural point-of-view that was different from their parents.

Although the Issei kept an emotional connection with Japan, they created homes in a country far from Japan.^[10]

Generation	Cohort description
Issei (一世)	The generation of people born in Japan who immigrated to another country.[11]
Nisei (二世)	The generation of people born in North America, Latin America, Australia, Hawaii, or any country outside of Japan either to at least one Issei parent.[11]
Sansei (三世)	The generation of people born to at least one Nisei parent.[11]
Yonsei (四世)	The generation of people born to at least one Sansei parent[11]
Gosei (五世)	The generation of people born to at least one Yonsei parent[12]

The Issei, Nisei and Sansei generations reflect distinctly different attitudes to authority, gender, non-Japanese involvement, and religious practice, and other matters.^[13]

Select list of notable Issei

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• Kan'ichi Asakawa (1873-1948), academic, author, peace advocate, historian and librarian^[14]
• Makoto Hagiwara ( -1925), made the fortune cookie popular^[15]
• Mazie Hirono (1947-  ), 1st US Senator born in Japan^[16]
• Fujitaro Kubota (1879-1973), American Seattle gardener and philanthropist^[17]
• Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), American sculptor and landscape architect^[18]
• Yoko Ono Lennon (1933-  ) artist and musician.^[19]
• George Masa (1881–1933), activist in creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park^[20]
• Yoichiro Nambu (1921 - ), American Nobel Prize winner (2008), Physicist^[21]
• Jokichi Takamine (1854 – 1922), chemist who isolated adrenaline^[22]

Related pages

• Japanese American Internment