Japoñolés: The Use of Japanese, Spanish, and English in the

Japoñolés: The Use of Japanese, Spanish, and English in the

Linfield College
DigitalCommons@Linfield
Fulbright Grantee Projects
Office of Competitive Scholarships
1-1-2012
Japoñolés: The Use of Japanese, Spanish, and
English in the Peruvian Japanese Community
Lily Niland
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Recommended Citation
Niland, Lily, "Japoñolés: The Use of Japanese, Spanish, and English in the Peruvian Japanese Community" (2012). Fulbright Grantee
Projects. Presentation. Submission 2.
http://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/fulbright/2
This Presentation is brought to you for free via open access, courtesy of DigitalCommons@Linfield. For more information, please contact
[email protected].
Japoñolés
The use of Japanese, Spanish, and English
in the Peruvian Japanese community
Lily Niland
How did this project come about?
• Baseball
• Spanish
• Japanese
• Linfield!
Historical Context
• Pre-war period
→ Migration from Japan to Peru
→ Influence from Okinawa
• World War II
→ Discrimination
→ Assimilation
• Early post-war period
→ Loss of Japanese language
• Dekasegi Phenomenon
→ Migration from Peru to Japan
• Return of the dekasegi
→ Migration from Japan to Peru
“Al que hablaba japonés le
deportaban. Ya nadie
quería usarlo. Dicen que
en tiempos de guerra,
todos éramos chinos.”
- Mi mamá nikkei, Keiko
Ireijo de Iju
Methodology
• Participant
observation
• Written sources
• Public speeches
• Recorded
conversations
• Surveys
General Observations
•  Emphasis on Japanese traditions and values
•  Emphasis on Peruvian Japanese fusion
•  General statistics
Contexts in which Japanese is used
•  Written sources: Kaikan, Peru Shimpo
•  Nikkei schools: Hideo Noguchi, Santa Beatriz, La
Victoria, La Unión
•  Academies: la AELU, la APJ, Ichigokai
•  Activities: Donguri, Shaberankai, Benrontaikai, choral
festivals, karaoke competitions, folklore celebrations.
Contexts: English, Spanish, Japanese
Contextos: todos los participantes
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
0
20
40
Español
60
Japonés
80
Inglés
100
120
Mini version of results: Level of Japanese
Nivel de japonés según edad
Oral
Escrito
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
Nivel de japonés (grupos especiales)
Oral
2.5
Escrito
2
1.5
7
1
0.5
6
0
9 a 17
5
18-29
30-49
50-69
70+
4
Nivel de japonés según edad (sin
dekasegi/nihongaeri)
3
Oral
2
Escrito
5
1
4.5
0
3.5
4
Dekasegi
Nihongaeri
Directivo
Sensei
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
9 a 17
18-29
30-49
50-69
70+
Level of English vs. Japanese
Niveles de japonés e inglés (todos
los participantes)
Nivel de japonés e inglés (sin
nihongaeri, dekasegi)
Inglés Oral
Inglés Escrito
Inglés Oral
Inglés Escrito
Japonés Oral
Japonés Escrito
Japonés Oral
Japonés Escrito
6
6
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
0
9 a 17
18-29
30-49
50-69
70+
0
9 a 17
18-29
30-49
50-69
70+
Results: Public Speeches
•  Almost always in Spanish; Japanese comes
with Spanish version.
•  Many more loan words from Japanese than
from English (950 to 38), with loans that
form part of names representing 45% of the
Japanese loans used. % de # total de préstamos
Partes de la oración de préstamos japoneses
100
S+Adj+I
P+V+Adv
80
60
40
20
0
Conversaciones
grabadas
Discurso
Público
Fuentes Escritas
Préstamos diferentes por minuto
Results: daily conversation
2.5
1.875
# de préstamos japoneses
diferentes por minuto hablado en
español según edad
1.25
0.625
0
70+ 50-69 30-49 16-29 0-15
Results: Japanese in Japan
versus Japanese in Perú
•  Changes in pronunciation reflected in
spelling in written sources
•  English influence on Japanese in Japan not
reflected in Japanese in Perú (except
nihongaeri)
•  Loss of long vowel sounds and consonant
sounds in Peruvian Japanese (except by
issei and nihongaeri)
How do Peruvian nikkei describe the current situation?
•  General loss of Japanese
language
•  Use of scattered Japanese loan
words in Spanish conversation
•  English competing with
Japanese (and winning)
•  Low level in ancestors
language compared to other
immigrant communities
•  Recent increase in use of
Japanese because of the return
of the dekasegi and nihongaeri
Pero bueno, es como algo
lógico, no es como que en tu
casa siempre te sirven chaufa
y tú vas a comer a la calle
chaufa, mentira, tú vas a
comer otra cosa. O como que
tú trabajas en una cafeteria y
tú quieres ir a tomar café
después. Todo el día ves café,
no quieres café. Y eso ha
pasado un poco con los
chicos, ¿no?
- Luis Gerardo Hirota
Takeuche (generación 3.5; 34)
What linguistic changes would Peruvian
nikkei like to see in their community?
•  Do they want to learn more Japanese?
–  Most said yes, but it is not a priority.
–  Reasons to learn: because of heritage, because
it is good in general to learn languages, just to
know it , for academic/economic opportunities,
to use it in Japan
–  Reasons it is not a priority: lack of time/money,
because it is not necessary/useful, because it is
better to learn English, because it is hard/boring What linguistic changes would Peruvian
nikkei like to see in their community?
•  Do they want to learn more English?
–  Most said yes, and it is a priority.
–  Reasons to learn: to use it at work/school in
Perú, to use it in an English-speaking country,
because it is the universal/global/basic
language, to understand TV/music, because it s
required
–  Reasons not to learn: age ( too late for me ),
already know enough, lack of time, I don t
like it , would rather learn Japanese
Descripciones de la situación lingüística ideal
How do
Peruvian
nikkei
describe
the ideal
language
situation?
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
s
n
al
é
és
e
r
l
i
n
b
o
ne
ng
i
á
e
t
aj p
g
s
an
n
ís e
d
e
ás
en
M
A
as
r
p
om
A
i
Id
n
to
ol
as
e
l
x
ñ
e
o
c
te
id
pa
N
n
ez
s
n
e
m
co
ce
o
l
i
l
o
n
N
de
só
er
e
n
d
d
o
se
n
e
M
U
ep
D
sé
What suggestions do Peruvian nikkei have as
to how to move towards that ideal situation?
¿Qué se puede hacer?
J. en casa
J. en academia
Cambiar metodología
J. en colegio
Incentivar en comunidad
Conversar en j.
Incentivar con becas
Intercambios
No se puede
Depende de chicos
¿Saben? Usen.
I. en casa
Clarificar mezcla
Conclusions and suggestions
1)  Recognize that Japanese is no longer native language
2)  Emphasize importance of having qualified professors
1)  Recognize that Japanese is no longer the
3)  Raise expectations in Japanese classes
native
4)  Recognize the importance of written Japanese
5)  Improve the marketing
6)  Focus on youth
7)  Help adults to learn and stay involved as well
8)  Take responsibility for one s choices
9)  Diversify contexts to use Japanese outside of class
10)  Use and cultivate the abilities of the nihongaeri
Thank you!
•  To everyone who listened, read, revised,
inspired, supported, participated, and kept
me on track throughout the long process of
completing this three-year project!