The Nisei: The second generation Okinawan-Filipinos in Metro Manila

Abstract

How do second generation Okinawan-Filipinos or Nisei, who are offspring of intermarriages between an Okinawan and a Filipino, construct their ethnic identity? Based on interviews with eight Niseis residing in Metro Manila, the Nisei is found to have constructed his/her own identity by the use of the word 'Nisei'. While Nisei generally means second generation in Japanese, these Okinawan-Filipinos use the word Nisei to identify themseleves apart from other Japanese-Filipino offspring (those whose Japanese parent comes from the Japanese mainland). Being offspring of an Okinawan mother and a Filipino father, Niseis assert the fact that they are of Okinawan heritage, and that Okinawans constitute a distinct ethnic group in the Japanese nation-state. While asserting their distinctiveness as Okinawan-Filipinos, their identities are shaped by social conditions, including that of time and place. Practicality has also become a reason for these Niseis to assert their 'Okinawanness', especially with regards to employment opportunities in Japan.