Representations of Home in Obasan and Nihonjin: The Issei, Nisei, Sansei of Canada and Brazil Cecily Raynor McGill University [email protected] A Journal of Canadian Literary and Cultural Studies ISSN 2254-1179 VOL. 6 (2017) pp. 35-45 • ARTICLES 6ƮƛƦƢƭƭƞƝ $ƜƜƞƩƭƞƝ 01/03/2016 18/01/2017 .ƞƲưƨƫƝƬ Migration; diaspora; Japanese-Brazilian; space; home; time $ƛƬƭƫƚƜƭ Joy Kogawa’s Obasan (1981) and Oscar Nakasato’s Nihonjin (2011) are two novels that narrate the lives of Japanese diaspora in Canada and Brazil respectively. Both countries share a rich tradition of Japanese migration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which, while distinct in important ZD\VKDVUHVXOWHGLQDVLJQL¿FDQWERG\RIFXOWXUDOSURGXFWLRQ,QWKLVDUWLFOH,H[DPLQHVSDWLRWHPSRUDO treatments of the home space in Obasan and Nihonjin, arguing that this realm serves two primary IXQFWLRQV DVDVLWHIRUWKHH[SUHVVLRQDQGFRQVWUXFWLRQRILGHQWLW\ DVDSRLQWRIGLVUXSWLRQ DQG UHVLVWDQFH LQ WKH IDFH RI FXOWXUDO OLQJXLVWLF DQG QDWLRQDO DOLHQDWLRQ ([DPLQLQJ -DSDQHVH migration literature from a comparative lens sheds light on the past as a gateway to the present, while nuancing national discourses around race and ethnicity. Although these two narratives are VHSDUDWHGE\WKRXVDQGVRIPLOHVDQGWKLUW\\HDUVLQWKHLUSXEOLFDWLRQGDWHV-DSDQHVHPLJUDQWWDOHV IURP%UD]LODQG&DQDGDWHDFKXVGLYHUVHDQGLQWHUVHFWLQJOHVVRQVDERXWHWKQLFKHULWDJHDQGFXOWXUDO SOXUDOLW\7KHGRPHVWLFVSDFHLVSDUWLFXODUO\FULWLFDOIRUREVHUYLQJWKHVHFURVVLQJVDVLWVDWWHQWLRQWR ODQJXDJHIRRGFXOWXUHDQGRWKHUDUWLIDFWVUHYHDOVDPXOWLOD\HUHGH[SHULHQFH 36 [2254-1179 (2017) 6, 35-45] ,QThe Practice of Everyday Life0LFKHOGH&HUWHDXDVVHUWVWKDWHYHU\WDOHFDQEH ,QWKHFRXQWU\UHSRUWHGMXVWRYHUFLWL]HQVRI-DSDQHVHRULJLQRQHWHQWKWKDW UHDGDVDVSDWLDOSUDFWLFHDGYDQFLQJDORQJDQDUUDWLYHWUDMHFWRU\ ,QGHHGQDUUDWLRQ RI%UD]LOH[SODLQHGLQSDUWE\LWVFHDVLQJWRDOORZ-DSDQHVHLQWRWKHFRXQWU\LQGXH DVDPRGHRIPRYHPHQWFDQEHXQGHUVWRRGEURDGO\ZLWKWKHPRVWXQDVVXPLQJRIHYHQWV WR-DSDQ¶VDOOLDQFHZLWK1D]L*HUPDQ\ Statistics Canada 2011). Nevertheless, Japanese propelling a story forward. Unsurprisingly, narratives on migration and migrants are FXOWXUDOKHULWDJHKDVOHIWLWVPDUNRQERWKQDWLRQVDQLPSRUWDQWFRQVLGHUDWLRQDVZHPRYH frequently less focused on the literal migratory voyage than they are on the journey of EH\RQG VRPH RI WKH WKHRUHWLFDO OLPLWDWLRQV RI PXOWLFXOWXUDOLVP /LWHUDWXUH EULQJV WKHVH WKHSV\FKHµ7KHUH¶LVH[SUHVVHGERWKVSDWLDOO\WKURXJKWKHDFWRIFUHDWLQJDQGSHUIRUPLQJ histories to life in critical ways, illuminating intersections and divergences as well as cultural place, as well as temporally, through the keeping of multilayered time, often conveyed SUDFWLFHVDQGHQFRXQWHUV,QWKLVDUWLFOH,H[DPLQHVSDWLRWHPSRUDOWUHDWPHQWVRIWKHKRPH as frozen or slow-moving.1 Joy Kogawa’s Obasan (1981) and Oscar Nakasato’s Nihonjin space in Obasan and Nihonjin, arguing that this realm serves two primary functions: 1) as H[HPSOLI\WKHVHWUHQGVUHOD\LQJWZRWDOHVRI-DSDQHVHPLJUDQWIDPLOLHVLQ&DQDGD DVLWHIRUWKHH[SUHVVLRQDQGFRQVWUXFWLRQRILGHQWLW\DQG DVDSRLQWRIGLVUXSWLRQDQG and Brazil respectively.2 Both countries share a rich tradition of Japanese migration during UHVLVWDQFHLQWKHIDFHRIFXOWXUDOOLQJXLVWLFDQGQDWLRQDODOLHQDWLRQ([DPLQLQJ-DSDQHVH the late 19th and early 20th centuries, resulting in important literary production.3 While Brazil migration literature from a comparative lens sheds light on the past as a gateway to the houses the largest Japanese population in the world outside of Japan, forecasted to top present, while nuancing national discourses around race and ethnicity. RYHUPLOOLRQFLWL]HQVDVRI ,%*( WKHFDVHRI&DQDGDKDVEHHQRQHRIUHVWULFWLRQ4 Both Obasan, written in English, and Nihonjin, ZULWWHQLQ3RUWXJXHVHIDOOZLWKLQWKH JHQUHRIKLVWRULFDO¿FWLRQDQGQDUUDWHWKHOLYHVRIWZR-DSDQHVHIDPLOLHVDFURVVVHYHUDO 17KLVLVREVHUYDEOHLQRWKHUFRQWHPSRUDU\PLJUDWLRQQDUUDWLYHVIURP%UD]LOLQFOXGLQJ7DWLDQD decades. Obasan’s point of departure is 1972, and the novel commences from the Levy’s A chave da casa (2007), an introspective look at a Turkish-Brazilian’s retracing of her family perspective of a Japanese-Canadian schoolteacher in her mid-thirties, Naomi, who has KHULWDJH EDFN WR 7XUNH\ DQG 3RUWXJDO 'HVSLWH WKH VSDWLDO WUDMHFWRU\ FRYHUHG LQ WKH QRYHO LW LV OLYHGVLQFHWKHRXWEUHDNRIZDUZLWKKHUDXQW2EDVDQDQGKHUXQFOHKHUPRWKHUKDYLQJ ultimately grounded in the protagonist’s memories, which are interspersed with her travel. 2 Both novels’ titles are left in the Japanese, an important marker of language. Obasan means EHHQWUDSSHGE\WKHZDUZKLOHRQDYLVLWWR-DSDQDQGKHUIDWKHULQWHUQHGVHSDUDWHO\7KH $XQWDQGGUDZVDWWHQWLRQWRWKHFORVHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQWKHSURWDJRQLVW1DRPLDQGKHUHOGHUO\ ORVVRIKHU8QFOHSURPSWVDGLJUHVVLRQLQWRWKHSDVWIURP3HDUO+DUERUWRWKHERPELQJRI $XQWUHIHUUHGWRRQO\DV2EDVDQZKRORVHVKHUKXVEDQG1DRPL¶V$XQW(PLO\DOZD\VUHIHUUHGWR Nagasaki, where, she discovers much later, she has lost her mother. Obasan’s language LQ(QJOLVKDV$XQW(PLO\DOVREHFRPHVDQLPSRUWDQWLQÀXHQFHDV1DRPLPDWXUHVNihonjin means LVO\ULFDORIWHQMX[WDSRVLQJGLI¿FXOWFKLOGKRRGPHPRULHVZLWKSUHVHQWGD\UXPLQDWLRQV$V Japanese people in Japanese. These titles stress the importance of language in the process of migration, placing it at the forefront. PDQ\FULWLFVKDYHQRWHGLQFOXGLQJ'RQQD%HQQHWWDQG(ULND*RWWOLHEWKHQRYHOLOOXVWUDWHV 3)LFWLRQLVWVLQFOXGLQJ+LURPL*RWR.LP0RULWVXJX5XWK2]HNLDQG.HUUL6DNDPRWRIRUPSDUW WKH V\VWHPDWLF RWKHULQJ RI -DSDQHVH&DQDGLDQV HPEHGGHG LQ D EURDGHU JHRSROLWLFDO RIDULFKWUDGLWLRQRI-DSDQHVH&DQDGLDQDXWKRUVZKRH[SORUHWKHPHVRILGHQWLW\PXOWLFXOWXUDOLVP FRQÀLFW WKDW H[WHQGHG EH\RQG LQGLYLGXDOV $V *RWWOLHE H[SODLQV LQ KHU DQDO\VLV RI WKH cultural alienation and preservation. 4 ,Q KLV DUWLFOH RQ LPPLJUDWLRQ DQG OLWHUDWXUH LQ FRQWHPSRUDU\ %UD]LO /XL] 5XIIDWR QRWHV WKH QRYHO¶V KLVWRULFDO EDFNGURS ³&DQDGD IHOO YLFWLP WR WKH K\VWHULD IHDU JUHHG WKH QHHG Japanese-Brazilian resistance in entering the Brazilian literary scene due to often self-imposed IRUDVFDSHJRDWLWZDV¿JKWLQJDJDLQVW´ Obasan humanizes Japanese-Canadian FXOWXUDODQGOLQJXLVWLFVHJUHJDWLRQ³$OWKRXJKLWHQFRPSDVVHVDERXWPLOOLRQQLVVHLVWKHODUJHVW ZDUWLPH YLFWLPV WKURXJK D GHHSO\ SHUVRQDO QDUUDWLYH ,QGHHG 1DRPL QDUUDWHV WKH SDVW SRSXODWLRQRI-DSDQHVHRXWVLGHRI-DSDQZKRHQWHUHGLQWRWKHFRXQWU\EHWZHHQDQGIRU in the present tense and through the eyes of a child, connecting it to the present and a long period of time the population resisted integration. The poets and writers of prose continued to EHLQVHUWHGLQDQ2ULHQWDOWUDGLWLRQLQWKHWKHPHVLQWKHZULWLQJLQWKHODQJXDJH8QWLOYHU\UHFHQWO\ EULQJLQJPHPRU\WROLIH3DVWWHQVHYHUEVDUHXVHGWRGHQRWHKLVWRULFDOHYHQWVUDWKHUWKDQ WKHQDPHRI(LFR6X]XNLZKLFKDSSHDUHGGXULQJWKHVZDVWKHORQHQDPHLQWKHKLVWRU\RI LQWHUUXSWLQJGLJUHVVLRQVLQWRPHPRU\7KHQRYHOGHVFULEHVWKHKRUURUVRIIRUFHGLQWHUQPHQW %UD]LOLDQOLWHUDWXUHEXWQRZKHKDVJDLQHGWKHFRPSDQ\RI0DUtOLD.XERWDDQG2VFDU1DNDVDWR´ P\ DQGH[LOHIURP9DQFRXYHUWRWKHSUDLULHVIURPGLIIHULQJSHUVSHFWLYHVRIFKLOGUHQDQGDGXOWV translation). ,Q3RUWXJXHVH³(PERUDDEULJXHFHUFDGHPLOKmRGHQLVVHLVDPDLRUSRSXODomR GHMDSRQHVHVHGHVFHQGHQWHVIRUDGR-DSmRHQWUDGRVQRSDtVHQWUHHGXUDQWHPXLWR skillfully interweaving moments of solidarity or refuge amongst its protagonists. The novel tempo a colônia resistiu a se integrar - os poetas e prosadores continuavam inseridos dentro da LQFOXGHVH[FHUSWVIURPDZDUWLPHMRXUQDOE\1DRPL¶VDFWLYLVW$XQW(PLO\SURYLGLQJDQDGXOW WUDGLomRRULHQWDOQRVWHPDVQDHVFULWDQRLGLRPD$WpPXLWRUHFHQWHPHQWHRQRPHGH(LFR6X]XNL SHUVSHFWLYHDVZHOODVD¿FWLRQDOH\HZLWQHVVDFFRXQWRIHYHQWV DSDUHFLGRQDGpFDGDGHPDQWLQKDVHVROLWiULRQDKLVWyULDGDOLWHUDWXUDEUDVLOHLUDPDVDJRUD JDQKRXDFRPSDQKLDGH0DUtOLD.XERWDH2VFDU1DNDVDWR´ 5XIIDWR A Journal of Canadian Literary and Cultural Studies 37 NihonjinH[SORUHV-DSDQHVH%UD]LOLDQOLIHWKURXJKDVLPLODUHPSKDVLVRQDPXOWLSOLFLW\ K\EULGLGHQWLWLHVVXFKDV-DSDQHVH%UD]LOLDQLPPLJUDQWVRIDOOEDFNJURXQGVWHQGWRVWUHVV of narrative voices.5,WVVHYHQFKDSWHUVFDQEHUHDGDVIUHHVWDQGLQJVWRULHVRUWRJHWKHUYLD their country of origin, in this case calling themselves Japanese (Lesser 2). Yet although the intersection of three generations along a shared plotline. Beginning the story is Hideo HWKQLFRULJLQPD\QRWZRUNLQRSSRVLWLRQWR%UD]LOLDQLGHQWLW\WKLVÀXLGXQGHUVWDQGLQJGRHV ,QDEDWDDSURXG¿UVWJHQHUDWLRQ-DSDQHVHHFRQRPLFPLJUDQWWR%UD]LOGXULQJWKHVHFRQG not eliminate discriminatory practices, as Nihonjin UHYHDOV 2I HTXDO VLJQL¿FDQFH LV WKH GHFDGHRIWKHWZHQWLHWKFHQWXU\7KHORVVRIKLV¿UVWZLIHDQGGLI¿FXOWLHVZLWKKLVFKLOGUHQWHVW historical emphasis placed on miscegenation, evidenced in concepts including racial KLVULJLG-DSDQHVHZLOODQGMXVWEHIRUHWKHHQGRIWKHQRYHOWKHQDUUDWRU+LGHR¶VJUDQGVRQ GHPRFUDF\FRLQHGE\%UD]LOLDQVRFLRORJLVW*LOEHUWR)UH\UH5DFLDOGHPRFUDF\UHOLHVRQ HPEDUNVRQDUHWXUQMRXUQH\WRD-DSDQKHKDGRQO\SUHYLRXVO\LPDJLQHG6 Though Nihonjin WKHQRWLRQRIUDFLDOGRPLQDQFHLQWKHEOHQGLQJRI%UD]LO¶VWKUHHPDMRUUDFLDOJURXSVWKH FRPPHQFHVZLWKDEULHIGHVFULSWLRQRIWKHYR\DJHWR%UD]LOLWIRFXVHVRQWKHGHVWLQDWLRQ Amerindians, descendants of African slaves, and whites. Not only does racial democracy RIPLJUDWLRQOLNH2EDVDQ¶VIRFXVRQ&DQDGDDQGLQSDUWLFXODURQTXRWLGLDQDQGGRPHVWLF falsely simplify race relations in a country with a long-standing legacy of slavery and other SODFHV,QERWKObasan and NihonjinKRPHLVDFRQFHSWQRWGH¿QHGE\SK\VLFDOVSDFH XQMXVWUDFLDOSRZHUKLHUDUFKLHVLWVSULYLOHJLQJRIUDFLDOPL[WXUHVIDLOVWRLQFOXGH-DSDQHVH EXWLVUDWKHUPDGHDQGXQPDGHSHUIRUPHGDQGDEDQGRQHG7KLVFRPSOH[SRUWUD\DOFDOOV or the many other ethnicities that fall outside of the colonial model. Thus, despite an LQWRTXHVWLRQWKHDELOLW\WRPDLQWDLQULJLGELQDULHVLQOLJKWRIÀXFWXDWLQJPLJUDQWLGHQWLWLHVDQG H[SDQVLYHQRWLRQRI%UD]LOLDQQHVVLWLVFOHDUWKDW-DSDQHVH%UD]LOLDQVGRQRWDOZD\V¿W HYHUFKDQJLQJQDWLRQDOFRQWH[WV$WWKHVDPHWLPHWKHKRPHVHUYHVDQXPEHURIFULWLFDO within conceptual and historical frameworks. At the