In her book Transforming the Past: Tradition and Kinship Among Japanese Americans, Sylvia Junko Yanagisako argues that Japanese American kinship is the outcome of a process of negotiation between Issei and Nisei, between the past and the present, between Japanese and American culture. The Nisei use the same words and concepts
as their Issei parents to evaluate the real world, they attribute, however, a different meaning to these words and concepts. In order to make sense of their world, they interpret the mass culture they are exposed to on the basis of their own folk history. Like any other work, Transforming the Past has both strengths and weaknesses, some of them more important than others. In this essay, I want to point out those strengths and weaknesses that I believe to be most important. As far as the structure is concerned, Transforming the Past is a quite well organized book. It looks at the three aspects of marriage, filial relations, and siblinghood and
kinship in a very organized way, namely by first describing the Issei views, followed by the opinion of the Nisei.
Table of Contents
1. Transforming the Past: Tradition and Kinship Among Japanese Americans
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Analysis of Strengths
1.3 Analysis of Weaknesses
1.4 Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This critical essay evaluates Sylvia Junko Yanagisako's work, "Transforming the Past: Tradition and Kinship Among Japanese Americans," by examining the book's methodological strengths and analytical shortcomings in depicting Japanese American kinship and cultural identity.
- Negotiation of identity between Issei and Nisei generations
- Dynamic cultural interpretation versus fixed sociological categories
- Methodological limitations regarding geographical scope and survey sampling
- The role of history and continuity in shaping ethnic identity
- Critical assessment of the book’s writing style and structural organization
Excerpt from the Book
Transforming the Past: Tradition and Kinship Among Japanese Americans
Regarding content, the most important strength is the fact that culture is used as the primary unit of analysis. This sets Transforming the Past apart from sociological studies and considerations of social anthropology. Moreover, rather than as passive objects, people are shown as active subjects of history. We are confronted with a very dynamic concept of culture that involves both Issei and Nisei, the past and the present, Japanese and American culture. This system works in both direction, i.e. both Issei and Nisei constantly change their views as a reaction to their experiences and exigencies. In addition to that, this dynamic nature does away with fixed categories that do not exist anywhere anyways. Even though Yanagisako describes two extremes of viewing the world, she makes clear that reality is located on a continuum between these two extremes.
Summary of Chapters
Transforming the Past: Tradition and Kinship Among Japanese Americans: This chapter introduces the author’s core thesis, which emphasizes how Japanese American kinship is a process of ongoing negotiation between generations and cultural influences.
Introduction: The introduction outlines the foundational arguments regarding the interaction between Issei and Nisei perspectives and sets the stage for a critical assessment of the book's methodology.
Analysis of Strengths: This section details the positive aspects of the book, particularly the dynamic, culture-centered approach that avoids rigid sociological categorizations of the Japanese American community.
Analysis of Weaknesses: This segment critically addresses the dry writing style, the lack of justification for the chosen survey sample, and the problematic isolation of the community from wider American societal influences.
Conclusion: The final section summarizes the evaluation, arguing that while the book contributes to the field, its reliance on relativism and limited sample size prevents it from being a definitive academic authority.
Keywords
Japanese Americans, Issei, Nisei, Kinship, Cultural Identity, Social Anthropology, Seattle, Negotiation, Relativism, Ethnic Studies, Immigration, Generational Change, Social History, Identity Politics, Community Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of the book being discussed?
The book examines the transformation of kinship structures among Japanese Americans, focusing on how Issei and Nisei generations negotiate their identities between Japanese traditions and American mass culture.
What are the primary thematic areas of this work?
The themes include the negotiation of cultural meaning, the continuity of the past within the present, generational differences, and the dynamics of social change within immigrant communities.
What is the main objective of the author's critique?
The objective is to provide a balanced evaluation of Yanagisako's study, highlighting its successful move away from static cultural categories while pointing out its failures in sample representativeness and academic scope.
Which scientific methods are analyzed in this critique?
The essay focuses on Yanagisako’s use of qualitative interviews and her choice of a survey sample within the Seattle Japanese American community as the basis for her anthropological analysis.
What aspects are covered in the main body of the book review?
The body covers the structural organization of the book, the shift towards dynamic cultural analysis, the specific weaknesses regarding geographical scope, and the perceived limitations of the author's relativistic approach.
Which keywords best characterize the discourse?
Keywords include Japanese American identity, cultural negotiation, generational differences, anthropological research, and community studies.
How does the author of the critique justify their view on the book's title?
The critique argues that the title suggests a broad study of Japanese American kinship, whereas the content is restricted to a small community in Seattle, creating a contradiction that weakens the book's message.
What is the author's opinion on the role of relativism in the book?
The author of the critique finds the level of relativism in the book "distressing," arguing that it prevents the establishment of clear, necessary abstractions for a convincing academic thesis.
How is the concept of 'history' treated in the work?
The book is praised for linking social change closely to history, treating history as a fundamental, non-secondary factor that actively shapes contemporary society.
- Quote paper
- B.A. Stephanie Wössner (Author), 2003, Rezension zu: Sylvia Junko Yanagisako's "Transforming the Past: Tradition an Kinship Among Japanese Americans", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/138135
