Overseas Japanese

How to call “overseas Japanese” is an interesting question. Some people say Zaigai Nihon Jin (literally “overseas Japanese”) and others try to come up with a new word like “Wakyou” (Japanese version of Kakyou “overseas Chinese”). I personally call ethnic Japanese people around the world as “Nikkei”. Still others come up with creative words like “Ahoujin”. Since I grew up in Tokyo, “Aho” sounds like the word “Bakka” (which means “stupid”) though. ;-)
How about “Zipangs” or “Wondering Yamatos (Sasurai no Yamato)”?

There are more than 3 million ethnic Japanese outside of Japan. There are 1.4 million Japanese Brazilians and 1.2 million Japanese Americans. During the WWII Japanese Americans in the mainland USA were interned in internment camps (that is what is called “we are found guilty for looking like enemies”). From the experience some of my people stopped learning Japanese and Japanese culture. I don’t blame them. It was a very unfortunate part of American history. I talked with some of those Japanese Americans who lived through the tough time. They couldn’t even go to a market without someone chasing them and shouting profanities at them right after the war. We must have the historical understanding and sensitivities for those who suffered.

I think that the common language for “overseas Japanese” will be English. Not only about half of the overseas Japanese are in English speaking countries, but also English is now the de facto global language. Some may argue that Japanese can be used for the communications between us, but for 2nd and 3rd generation of Japanese immigrants studying Japanese will not be easy. Also, there is no globalized version of Japanese that can be learned without knowing Japanese culture. From my experience of living in Japan, I think that most of Japanese people prefer to have communication difficulties rather than to speak in the simplified Japanese. Of course I could be wrong.