Generational Differences in Japanese Americans' Preferred Senior Service Environments

Abstract

Japanese American social service agencies and senior centers were created during the 1970s based on the needs of the first (Japanese-speaking) and second (bilingual) generations of Japanese Americans. In 2011, the oldest baby boomers turned 65. Acculturated, English-speaking Japanese American baby boomers may have different preferences about types of services and activities. This study compared the preferences of 230 Japanese American baby boomers and 183 seniors regarding ethnic-specific and nonethnic-specific social service and senior center environments. Despite acculturation, the baby boomers preferred the mixed service environment that included both Japanese-specific and nonethnic-specific activities, suggesting the importance of maintaining Japanese culture.

Keywords:

• Japanese American
• baby boomer
• culturally appropriate
• preference
• acculturation

Notes

¹ First-generation immigrants from Japan.

² Second-generation American-born Japanese.

³ Third-generation American-born Japanese.

⁴ Second-generation American-born Japanese, who spent their education years in Japan.

⁵ New Japanese immigrants, who came to the U.S. after WW II.

⁶ Gordon (1964) proposed the seven stages of assimilation that the immigrant group assimilates to the host country by (a) cultural or behavioral assimilation (i.e., acculturation): change of cultural patterns to those of host society; (b) structural assimilation: large-scale entrance into institutions of host society; and (c) marital assimilation (i.e., amalgamation): large-scale intermarriage.

⁷ Japanese folk song/singing.

⁸ Japanese traditional chanted singing in a form of poetry.

⁹ Japanese paper folding.

¹⁰ Japanese national routine exercise.

¹¹ Japanese traditional dance.

¹² Japanese drum.

¹³ Japanese calligraphy.

¹⁴ Japanese style flower arrangement.