What is it about?
Japanese Americans immigrated to Southern California in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, facing harsh racial discrimination, Despite marginalization, ethnic spiritual institutions provided powerful centers of resurgence after the racially-motivated incarceration of Japanese Americans from 1942-1945.
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Why is it important?
The research empirically demonstrates the importance of geography and place to human group well-being, with particular reference to ethnic identity persistence, while facing harsh de jure and de facto discrimination. In psychological and spiritual terms, social spaces and place attachment are vital, particularly for marginalized groups and individuals.
Perspectives
The article is based upon my PhD research in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles from 2002-2005. It was a great pleasure to work with the Japanese American informants, especially the survivors of the incarceration during the Second World War and the Buddhist priest and Christian pastor who provided vital information on ethnic spirituality. I also was privileged to work with the Asian American Studies Center at UCLA. The staff there were wonderful.
James Smith
Towson University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Identities and urban social spaces in little tokyo, los angeles: japanese americans in two ethno‐spiritual communities, Geografiska Annaler Series B Human Geography, December 2008, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0467.2008.00300.x.
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