Abstract
References
- Adorno, Theodor. W. (1951) Minima Moralia: Reflexionen aus dem beschädigten Leben. Suhrkamp Verlag. Fanon, Frantz. (2004). The Wretched of The Earth. Translated from the French by Richard Philcox with commentary by Jean-Paul Sartre and Homi K. Bhabha. Grove Press.
- Gilroy, Paul (1993). The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness. Verso.
- Gülbeyaz, Abdurrahman. (2021) “The Universal and the Language Specific in the Construction of Gender: A Comparative Semiotic Study.” Expressions of Gender in the Altaic World, edited by: Münevver Tekcan and Oliver Corff. De Gruyter.
- Hall, Stuart & Du Gay, Paul (Eds.). (1996). Questions of Cultural Identity. Sage Publications.
- Hall, Stuart. (1990). Cultural identity and Diaspora, in Jonathan Rutherford (ed.) Identity (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1990), pp.222–37. [Originally published as: ‘Cultural Identity and Cinematic Representation’, Framework, no. 36 (1989), 68–81.].
- Hall, Stuart. (2005). Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972–79. Routledge in association with the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies University of Birmingham.
- Hall, Stuart. (2019a). Essential Essays Volume 1: Foundations of Cultural Studies. Edited by David Morley. Duke University Press.
- Hall, Stuart. (2019b). Essential Essays Volume 2: Identity and Diaspora. Edited by David Morley. Duke University Press.
- Holy Bible. (2026). King James Version (KJV) Black Presentation Edition. William Collins.
- Klein, Ernst. (1966). A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Elsevier Publishing Company.
- Rahlfs, Alfred & Hanhart, Robert (Eds.). (2019). Septuagint (LXX). Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC. Ross, Douglas E. & Lau-Ozawa, Koji (Eds.) (2021). Charting the Emerging Field of Japanese Diaspora Archaeology. Springer.
- Takenaka, Ayumi & Paerregaard, Karsten & Berg, Ulla. (2010). “Introduction: Peruvian Migration in a Global Context”. Latin American Perspectives, September 2010, Vol. 37, No. 5, pp. 3-11.
- Takenaka, Ayumi. (2004). “The Japanese in Peru: History of Immigration, Settlement, and Racialization. Latin American Perspectives”. East Asian Migration to Latin America. May, 2004, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 77-98.
- Takenaka, Ayumi. (2020). “The paradox of diaspora engagement: a historical analysis of Japanese state-diaspora relations”. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. Vol. 46, NO. 6, pp. 1129–1145.
- Tsuda, Takeyuki & Song, Changzoo. (2019) Diasporic Returns to the Ethnic Homeland: The Korean Diaspora in Comparative Perspective. Palgrave Macmillan.
ON THE MAKING OF THE MODERN CONCEPT OF “DIASPORA” – AND A LOOK AT THE RETURN MIGRATION OF JAPANESE DIASPORA TO JAPAN –
Abstract
My paper is divided into two complementary parts at the superordinate level. The first part offers a critique of the prevailing terminological tools of the topic under discussion here, and serves as conceptual groundwork for the second part, while the second part offers a critical socio-historical analysis of migration and return migration to and from Japan.
In the first part, I examine the historical and conceptual evolution of the term "diaspora," beginning with its etymological roots in the Old Testament, where it was framed as a form of divine punishment. I trace its subsequent adaptation into the social sciences as a generalized term for displaced communities, critiquing the modern usage of "diaspora" and "migration." I argue that these terms, particularly within the context of late capitalism, have been shaped by social-scientific discourse in ways that often obscure and distort the nuanced complexities of human mobility.
The second part shifts focus to the Japanese diaspora, providing a sociohistorical lens on major migration flows, particularly during the Meiji Restoration, when the Japanese state actively promoted emigration to regions such as the United States and South America for economic and colonial purposes. This section critically examines the state’s role in these migration processes and transitions to an analysis of return migration. Special attention is given to the experiences of Nikkei individuals returning to Japan from South America during the late 20th century, highlighting the Japanese government’s recruitment of ethnic Japanese as unskilled labourers to address labour shortages in the 1980s and their subsequent marginalization following the 2008 financial crisis. These movements are contextualized within broader, state-driven migration policies.
Ultimately, my paper critiques both historical and contemporary frameworks for understanding migration, arguing that dominant social-scientific terminologies often fail to capture the lived realities of migration and return migration experiences. By integrating conceptual and socio-historical critique, the aim is to stimulate a more nuanced understanding of these phenomena.
References
- Adorno, Theodor. W. (1951) Minima Moralia: Reflexionen aus dem beschädigten Leben. Suhrkamp Verlag. Fanon, Frantz. (2004). The Wretched of The Earth. Translated from the French by Richard Philcox with commentary by Jean-Paul Sartre and Homi K. Bhabha. Grove Press.
- Gilroy, Paul (1993). The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness. Verso.
- Gülbeyaz, Abdurrahman. (2021) “The Universal and the Language Specific in the Construction of Gender: A Comparative Semiotic Study.” Expressions of Gender in the Altaic World, edited by: Münevver Tekcan and Oliver Corff. De Gruyter.
- Hall, Stuart & Du Gay, Paul (Eds.). (1996). Questions of Cultural Identity. Sage Publications.
- Hall, Stuart. (1990). Cultural identity and Diaspora, in Jonathan Rutherford (ed.) Identity (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1990), pp.222–37. [Originally published as: ‘Cultural Identity and Cinematic Representation’, Framework, no. 36 (1989), 68–81.].
- Hall, Stuart. (2005). Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972–79. Routledge in association with the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies University of Birmingham.
- Hall, Stuart. (2019a). Essential Essays Volume 1: Foundations of Cultural Studies. Edited by David Morley. Duke University Press.
- Hall, Stuart. (2019b). Essential Essays Volume 2: Identity and Diaspora. Edited by David Morley. Duke University Press.
- Holy Bible. (2026). King James Version (KJV) Black Presentation Edition. William Collins.
- Klein, Ernst. (1966). A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Elsevier Publishing Company.
- Rahlfs, Alfred & Hanhart, Robert (Eds.). (2019). Septuagint (LXX). Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC. Ross, Douglas E. & Lau-Ozawa, Koji (Eds.) (2021). Charting the Emerging Field of Japanese Diaspora Archaeology. Springer.
- Takenaka, Ayumi & Paerregaard, Karsten & Berg, Ulla. (2010). “Introduction: Peruvian Migration in a Global Context”. Latin American Perspectives, September 2010, Vol. 37, No. 5, pp. 3-11.
- Takenaka, Ayumi. (2004). “The Japanese in Peru: History of Immigration, Settlement, and Racialization. Latin American Perspectives”. East Asian Migration to Latin America. May, 2004, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 77-98.
- Takenaka, Ayumi. (2020). “The paradox of diaspora engagement: a historical analysis of Japanese state-diaspora relations”. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. Vol. 46, NO. 6, pp. 1129–1145.
- Tsuda, Takeyuki & Song, Changzoo. (2019) Diasporic Returns to the Ethnic Homeland: The Korean Diaspora in Comparative Perspective. Palgrave Macmillan.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Sociology of Inequalities, Migration Sociology, Social Theory |
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | April 29, 2025 |
| Publication Date | May 19, 2025 |
| Submission Date | February 17, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | March 23, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025Volume: 11 Issue: 31 |
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