Zainichi Koreans and Cultural Practices: Case Studies of a Zainichi Korean Rapper in Kawasaki

Abstract

This paper is based on reflections on research that I have carried out in the last two decades on nationalism and discrimination in contemporary Japan. In particular, it aims to clarify how identity politics of Zainichi Koreans have been passed on to subsequent generations based on case studies in Kawasaki. While the two major Korean ethnic organizations have played predominant roles in identity politics of Zainichi Koreans in postwar Japan, the identity politics of Zainichi Koreans in Kawasaki have been based on the Kawasaki Zainichi Korean church and its local community since the 1970s. It started as a grassroot practice and eventually collaborated with the local government, providing a foundation of today’s multicultural policy in Japan. However, collaboration with the local government also caused conflicts and divisions among members of the community. Meanwhile, this community became a target of racial discrimination amid the rise of exclusionary discourses and practices since mid-2000s. In this social and historical context, this paper attempts to illuminate how the former identity politics are inherited by members of the community today. It first overviews the social and historical context of identity politics led by Yi Inha, the former minister in charge of the Kawasaki Zainichi Korean church. Secondly, it looks at how those practices have been formative to the cultural practices against racism among the next generation by focusing on a Zainichi Korean rapper, Funi, and other church members. Overall, this paper investigates transitions from the identity politics to post-identity politics of Zainichi Koreans and what they are facing under today’s political conditions.