EAST ASIANS: JAPANESE

According to the US Census 2000 there are 1,148,932 multi-race, multi-ethnic and single-race Japanese of which 796,700 are single-race.

FACTS & STATISTICS

In a face-to-face interview study of a random sample of 211 Japanese immigrant women and Japanese American women in Los Angeles County conducted in 1995 (Yoshihama study, hereinafter):

• 61% reported some form of physical, emotional, or sexual partner violence that they considered abusive -including culturally demeaning practices such as overturning a dining table, or throwing liquid at a woman- sometime prior to the interview.1
• 52% reported having experienced physical violence during their lifetime. When the probability that some women who have not been victimized at the time of the interview, but may be abused at a later date is calculated, 57% of women are estimated to experience a partner’s physical violence by age 49 .2
• No significant generational differences were found in the age-adjusted risk of experiencing intimate physical, sexual or emotional violence .3
• 71% of the respondents reported that their Japanese background influenced their experiences with their partner’s violence. They identified the following aspects of their Japanese backgrounds as having influenced the way they responded to their partners’ violence: conflict avoidance, the value of endurance, acceptance of male domination, the value of collective family welfare, and an aversion to seeking help .4

Attitudes towards seeking help in the above study show that :5

• U.S.-born respondents, compared to their Japan-born counterparts, were more likely (83% vs. 43%) to seek help from friends; to confront their partners (86% vs. 68%); and to find these methods more effective.
• Japan-born respondents were more likely to minimize the seriousness of the situation as a strategy to cope with abuse (90%) than U.S.-born respondents (58%); and rated this strategy as more helpful than did the U.S.-born respondents (3.1 vs. 2.3 on a four-point scale).
• Although only 19% of women who had experienced partner violence (both U.S.-born and Japan-born respondents) used counseling, those who used counseling reported a high rate of satisfaction with it (3.3 out of 4 points).

Regarding childhood exposure to domestic violence:

• 13% of the respondents reported having experienced physical and/or sexual abuse during childhood .6
• 36.4% of the first generation respondents (those born in Japan and immigrated to the U.S. after age 13), and 13.2% of the 1.5, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation respondents, reported that their father abused their mother . 7

  1 Yoshihama M. Domestic violence against women of Japanese descent in Los Angeles: Two methods of estimating prevalence. Violence Against Women. 1999; 5(8): 869-897.
  2 Yoshihama M, Gillespie B. Age adjustment and recall bias in the analysis of domestic violence data: Methodological improvement through the application of survival analysis methods. Journal of Family Violence. 2002; 17(3): 199-221.
  3 Yoshihama M, Horrocks J. Post-traumatic stress symptoms and victimization among Japanese American women. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2002; 70(2): 205-215.
  4 Yoshihama M. Reinterpreting strength and safety in a socio-cultural context: Dynamics of domestic violence and experiences of women of Japanese descent. Children Youth Services Rev. 2000; 22: 207-229.
  5 Yoshihama M. Battered women’s coping strategies and psychological distress: Differences by immigration status. American Journal of Community Psychology. 2002; 30(3): 429-452.
  6 Yoshihama and Horrocks. Post-traumatic stress symptoms and victimization among Japanese American women.
  7 Yoshihama M. Model minority demystified: Emotional costs of multiple victimizations in the lives of women of Japanese descent. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. 2001; 3(3/4): 201-224.

TRANSLATED MATERIALS: JAPANESE

MULTI-MEDIA RESOURCES

37 Stories About Leaving Home
This fascinating experimental documentary examines the relationships between grandmothers, mothers, and daughters in Japan. Interwoven throughout the interviews with these women is a folk tale about a mother who rescues her daughter from an evil ogre who had kidnapped her. Insightful and entertaining, this innovative piece not only communicates how the roles of Japanese women have changed over the century, but also provides an idea of the transitions Japanese society is undergoing as a whole. By Shelly Silver. www.asianamericanmedia.org distribution@asianamericanmedia.org

Talking History
A compelling mosaic of oral histories and historical footage of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino and Laotian women featuring their journey to the US and their unique immigrant stories. By Spencer Nakasako www.asianamericanmedia.org, distribution@asianamericanmedia.org

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SERVICE PROGRAMS

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