Study on Acculturation and Mental Health among Nikkei Immigrants in Japan, Brazil, and U.S.A.: from a Standpoint of Medical Sociology

摘要本研究旨在从医学社会学的角度，探讨在日巴西日裔（JBJ）、在美日裔（JA）和巴西东北部日裔（JBB）三大类日本移民文化适应过程中的压力源与健康状况的关系。由于进行概率抽样的困难，我们的参与者不被视为代表性样本；然而，我们试图从每个国家相对较小的人口（如日本移民）中招募相当数量的参与者，因此，我们的有效样本数量为483个JBJ；是的,553;和JBB分别为201。关于JBJ，虽然在适应日本社会的过程中遇到了一些困难，比如想家和工作时间长，工作压力（即工作量过大），以及种族歧视，但我们发现大部分困难都是在建立更好的经济和生活条件的方式上，在同一民族内部相互支持。因此，超过三分之二的人对他们在日本的生活感到满意。但是，考虑到他们作为日本国民的社会支持程度较低，在劳动力市场上的职业地位受到限制等几个条件，他们在日本社会中必然与日本人隔离开来，很难实现自己的人生目标。我们的研究表明，JBJ的生活条件与JBB和JA的生活条件形成鲜明对比，JBB和JA已经在各自的东道国生活了三四代以上。关于JA，作为后代，他们更加同化，即美国化，然而，我们发现混合遗产JA作为第四代更强调。此外，日裔人的拘禁营经历可能会影响其后代的心理健康。

The primary purpose of this study was to examine relationships between stressors in acculturation process and health status among three major Japanese immigrants, such as Japanese Brazilians staying in Japan (JBJ), Japanese Americans in U.S.A. (JA), and Japanese Brazilians in northeastern part of Brazil (JBB), from a viewpoint of medical sociology. Due to difficulties of conducting probability sampling, our participants were not considered as the representative samples; however, we ware attempting to recruit a considerable number of participants from a relatively small population such as Japanese immigrants in each country As a result, the numbers of our valid samples were JBJ for 483; JA,553; and JBB, 201, respectively.Regarding JBJ, while having faced several difficulties to adapt Japanese society such as homesick and long working time, job stressors (i.e. over workload), as wall as racial discrimination, we found that most part of them were in the way of establishing better economic and living conditions, in terms of supporting each other within the same ethnic people. Hence, more than two thirds satisfied their Japan life. However, taking several conditions such as their poor social support form Japanese nationals, and restricted occupational status in labor market into account, they must be segregated from Japanese people in the Japan society and have poor life chances to fulfill their life goals. Our research suggested that living conditions of JBJ ware in sharp contrast to those of JBB as well as of JA, who have been living in respective host countries for more than three or four generations. Concerning JA, as succeeding generations, they were more assimilated, that is Americanized, howaver, we found mixed heritage JA as wall as the fourth generation were more stressed. Additionally, it was suggested that interment camp experiences among Nisei would influence on mental health of their succeeding generations.