Narrating the Afro-Japanese “Hafu” Experience: Race, Nation and Multipolar Globalization in Contemporary Japan

FAIN: FO-289844-23

Marvin Dale Sterling
Trustees of Indiana University (Bloomington, IN 47405-7000)

Research and writing leading to publication of articles and a book on the experiences of Afro-Japanese in contemporary Japan, and their implications for the broader understanding of Japanese identity and Japan's place in the international community. 

In this research, I explore Afro-Japanese experiences in contemporary Japan. What discursive themes or shared discursive repertoires emerge as Afro-Japanese narrate their experiences of life in the country? How might these themes or repertoires be informed by the potential tensions implicit in identification as “hafu” (“half”) specifically of African descent?