DEGUCHI MAKIKO
Kobe College Women's Studies Forum, 24 43-73, Mar, 2010
This study aims to develop a deeper understanding of the acculturation experiences of first generation Japanese American women. Ten Japanese women, ages 58 to 76, who reside in the New England area of the United States, were interviewed for the study. The women had entered the U.S. between 1948 and 1977, and had lived in the U.S. for an average of 39.2 years. Analysis of the interviews revealed four narrative patterns for relating their acculturation experience:(1) Becoming American; (2) "I Can Be Myself Here"; (3) Creating a Cultural Niche; and (4) "I am a Guest." The findings of the present study enrich the existing literature by demonstrating the importance of pre-emigration enculturation, person-environment fit, and the meaning of the host language, as shaping the acculturation process, all of which have not received sufficient attention in psychological studies of cultural transitions.