A Study on Adaptation of Japanese Overseas in North America -Evaluation on Language, Academic Achievement and Identity-

在本研究中，我们试图找出海外日本人在北美的适应过程。原因是目前在北美的日裔海外人数几乎有一万八千，这些孩子每天不仅在掌握外语（英语）方面面临困难，而且在外国获得学业成绩和身份也是困难的。在本研究中，我们主要在美国进行了大量的调查，并访问了海外日本人和儿童学校的老师。结果发现：(1)日本留学人员在国外的停留时间是影响其语言能力（英语和日语）和学业成绩的重要因素。然而，(2)儿童在国外面临的身份危机并不取决于在国外停留的时间长短。他们只是在日常生活中面临着各种各样的身份危机，而这些危机需要通过日本兼职学校的老师和家庭的支持来克服。

We tried to find the adaptational processes of Japanese Overseas in North America in this research. The reason is Japanese Overseas in North America are almost eighteen thousands in number at present, and these children are in every day facing with difficulties in not only mastering the foreign language (English), but also acquiring their academic achievement and identity in foreign country. We made many surveys in this research mainly in the United State and visited to have interviews with Japanese Overseas and teachers in children's schools. The results we found are (1) the length of foreign stay of Japanese Overseas is very important factor which could influence both language ability (English and Japanese) and academic achievement. However, (2) identity crisis children face in foreign country does not depend upon the length of foreign stay. They just face with various kind of identity crisises in everyday life which should be overcome by being supported by their teachers in part-time Japanese schools and their family.