Being Japanese American: A JA Sourcebook for Nikkei, Hapa . . . & Their Friends - Paperback

by Gil Asakawa (Author)

A celebration of JA culture: facts, recipes, songs, words, and memories that every JA will want to share.

From immigration to discrimination and internment, and then to reparations and a high rate of intermarriage, Americans of Japanese descent share a long and sometimes painful history, and now fear their unique culture is being lost.

Gil Asakawa's celebration of what makes JAs so special is an entertaining blend of facts and features, of recipes, songs, and memories that every JA will want to share with friends and family. Included are interviews with famous JAs and a look at how it's hip to be Japanese, from manga to martial arts, plus a section on Japantown communities and tips for JA's scrapbooking their families and traveling to Japan to rediscover their roots.

Author Biography

Gil Asakawa has worked in the media as a writer, editor, music critic and online expert for 40 years. He's currently Asoociate Editor for New Hope Network's Nutrition Business Journal.

Gil and his partner Erin Yoshimura recently launched visualizAsian.com, a website featuring live interviews with Asian American Pacific Islander leaders to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

The author of Being Japanese American (Stone Bridge Press, 2004) and co-author of The Toy Book (Knopf, 1991). He is a nationally-known speaker and commentator on Japanese American and Asian American identity and issues. He writes a blog, Nikkeiview.com, about pop culture and politics from an Asian American perspective. He also tweets, spends too much time on Facebook, and is a member of every social site and service he hears about.