Zainichi
Japan formally colonized Korea in 1910, causing Koreans to relocate to Japan. The Japanese empire confiscated land from Koreans and redistributed it to the Japanese migrating to Korea. As a result, many Koreans migrated to Japan to seek work after many low-skilled Japanese laborers moved to Korea. Koreans were not “allowed” to return to Korea until the nation gained its independence from Japan after their loss in World War II (Tablizo 101). However, the independence of Korea was followed by the partition of the nation and unstable conditions in the newly-split nations (Tablizo 101). Koreans still did not return due to a lack of funds or because they did not believe they would live a more successful life in either Korea than in Japan (Tablizo 101). Korean-born Koreans stayed in Japan and birthed the first of many-generations of Koreans born in Japan. The migrants and their off-spring were labeled “Zainichi,” which in Japanese literally means (foreign resident) “living in Japan.”
Zainichi faced many identity issues, especially the children of the individuals born in Korea. Koreans were an ethnic minority in Japan and faced verbal discrimination as well as barriers to employment and housing. Dual citizenship is not a viable option in Japan, so the Korean-Japanese option does not exist. Zainichi were not allowed to identify as Japanese, despite not feeling like Koreans–they were only told they were–and many were not willing to naturalize in Japan with the fear of being shunned by the zainichi community. In exchange for political ease, naturalized Japanese citizens of Korean descent would carry the burden of having “betrayed” their family and heritage. However, it was only appropriate that zainichi naturalize, as they grew up with Japanese customs and language. First-generation zainichi raised their children with Korean customs, but second-generation zainichi became accustomed to Japanese culture as that was the society they would grow into. They were born with Korean and Japanese names and they grew up in the Japanese education system (Htun 6). Outside of home, they experienced a disproportionate amount of one culture in comparison to the other. Regardless, Japanese people referred to them as Korean due to their heritage. Zainichi, especially non-first-generation zainichi, fall into a third unknown identity.