Raising Multicultural Children in Japan: A Mixed Methods Examination of Parent-Child-Society Dynamics

Abstract

This paper examined the experiences of parents raising multicultural children in Japan by obtaining quantitative and qualitative data via an online questionnaire from 158 parents raising multicultural children in Japan. Our findings suggested that society, children, and parents influenced each other in an inextricable manner. While we found variables that differentiated the respondents’ experiences (e.g. children’s appearances, names, and personalities; and parents’ place of origin, language competence, gender, and attitudes), we also found common threads in their experiences (e.g. being “othered,” pressures to conform, language barriers, cultural differences, and benefits). Many wished for a more open and accepting society.

Keywords:

• Acculturation
• marginalization
• multicultural parenting
• mix-method
• intercultural families
• multicultural identity

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the participants who cooperated in this study. We truly appreciate the time they took to complete our survey and for their honesty and candor in their responses. We would like to thank our families for providing us with the inspiration to undertake this research and for their constant source of support and insight. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes

1. There was a space on the questionnaire for respondents to explain family situations that did not fit this model.