Abstract:
Although the number of people who identify themselves as being ‘Japanese’ in the 2013 New Zealand census is still relatively small, the number of those who were born in New Zealand had increased by 7% from 2006. This suggests there is an emerging generation of ethnic cohorts, i.e. children of international marriages with a Japanese parent and children of Japanese migrants in New Zealand. However, there has been no study focusing on the life experiences of bicultural Japanese youth. Using interviews with 12 bicultural Japanese youths, both children of international marriages and those of Japanese migrants, this study will inquire into how they are constructing their ethnic and cultural identity and how they are developing their outlook in Auckland. The participants’ experiences will be compared with those of their counterpart cohorts with Japanese heritage elsewhere: hafu ‘children of international marriages in Japan’, Amerasians and kikokushijo ‘children of expatriates’ as well as their contemporary East Asian adolescents’ experiences in Auckland.
