The Cultural Politics of Issei Identity and Music Making in California, 1893–1941. Issue 3 (30th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: ASAI, SUSAN M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Society for American Music. Volume 10:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 304
• Page End: 330
• Publication Date: 2016-08-30
• Subjects: Music -- United States -- Periodicals; Music -- Periodicals; 780.973
• DOI: 10.1017/S1752196316000225
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1752-1963

Abstract

Abstract: Considering the aesthetic and social value of music making among Issei, first generation Japanese in California, opens a line of inquiry into how this immigrant population negotiated their cultural and political identities in a nation that racially marginalized them. As an integral aspect of Japanese culture, music was a medium through which Issei leaders chose to claim a cultural space in the United States. Their efforts to establish themselves within the social fabric of mainstream American society reveal the social and political forces that prevented their acceptance and assimilation. Issei responded by showcasing traditional Japanese music to educate white Americans about their revered heritage, singing songs for comfort and familiarity, and encouraging their children to perform Western music as an acculturative strategy. Caught between two nations, Issei emerged with alternative identities that ultimately failed due to the racist ideology governing American citizenship.