多文化社会カナダにおける日系人と言語環境

抄録

Japanese Canadian community has largely changed with the experience of internment during World War II and the resettlement after the end of the War. Its members, language environment and community organization sharply differ from those prior to World War II. Old Japan town in Vancouver, where most Japanese lived before World War II, was disorganized and their residential areas are now scattered around the Greater Vancouver.
Since the late 1960's, new immigrants from Japan have been increasing. Generally they have professional career and their educational backgrounds are higher than those of the old immigrants. Their life style and way of thinking also differ from old immigrants.
Although many associations, clubs and activities are organized in the Japanese Canadian community following the 1960's, their ethnic tie has not been strengthened at all. With changes of generation and increased inter-marriage, social assimilation of Japanese Canadians proceeded. Japanese language has been less important for them, making it difficult to communicate with each other at home and in their community. It is hard for new immigrants who usually speak Japanese to communicate with Nisei and Sansei who cannot speak Japanese.
During the 1980s Japanese community and Canadian society experienced substantial changes. Japanese Canadians had two important turning points. Firstly, Japanese Canadians Centennial was celebrated in 1977. Secondly, redress movement, which asked for compensation and apology for the injustice by the Canadian Government during World war II, succeeded. Young generation of Japanese Canadians became to understand their history and experiences. Then they came to recognize their own ethnic identities and became more and more have interested in Japanese culture and Japanese language. After the success of redress, they have confidence and relief as Japanese Canadians (Nikkei).
Furthermore, Japanese language schools increased since the 1970s in the Greater Vancouver. It means that Japanese language education is recognized important for Japanese Canadians. In addition, non-Japanese Canadians who use kanji are becoming interested in Japanese.
This reflects increased interest in Japan and Japanese spiritual culture, including Buddhism and Zen. Another reason to study Japanese is to get better jobs with the development of strong economic relationship between Japan and Canada. Many Asian Canadians who recently immigrated to Canada tend to choose Japanese as their second language.
Multiculturalism in Canada promoted ethnic minorities to recognize and inherit their languages and cultures. It supports educational programs of ethnic languages financially in each ethnic community. Most students take second language classes at junior high school. They also take multicultural classes to study ethnic cultures and histories.
After the 1970's, ethnic media, including newspapers and TV and radio programs, have been activated in the Japanese Canadian community. They convey lots of information concerning the ethnic community, while helping ethic members appreciate the existence of ethnic cultures.
While Japanese Canadian community is diversifying, they have inherited the Japanese language and symbolic ethnic culture (Nikkei culture). It also signifies the process in which the ethnic culture of Japanese Canadians is open to the host society, and is accepted as a part of Canada.