Podcasts about nikkeijin

In this episode, Allison Alexy talks with Prof. Michael Strausz, whose research focuses on Japanese politics, particularly Japan’s immigration policy, as well as the role of norms in international politics. The conversation centers on his new book Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan exploring why Japan’s immigration policy has remained so restrictive, especially in light of economic, demographic, and international political forces that are pushing Japan to admit more immigrants. Topics of discussion include: immigration statistics, the aging population, policy changes, the Abe administrations, qualitative and quantitative research methods, attitudes toward foreigners in Japan, Nikkeijin “returnees,” and voting patterns.If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Strausz's work, please watch his presentation in the Center for Japanese Studies' lecture series.Michael Strausz is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of Asian Studies at Texas Christian University. You can find him on twitter @strauszm.Michigan Talks Japan is produced by Robin Griffin, Justin Schell, and Allison Alexy and is supported by the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Michigan.  

With around 1.5 million foreign workers and over a million permanent and long-term foreign residents, Japan is experiencing unprecedented levels of immigration. In 2019 three new residence statuses were added to the Immigration Control Act. Furthermore, the government promises to foster social integration by strengthening Japanese language education and providing public services in multiple languages. But access to non-temporary or even permanent resident is highly selective. The migration industry plays a key role in international mobility in Asia. Taking a comparative look at the relations between the state and border spanning migration businesses in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea Kristin Surak advances a taxonomy of the ways states partner with migration industries and discusses the possibilities and pitfalls of each. Her analysis focuses on low-paid temporary migrant work programs, including the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP), Japan’s major gateway for temporary migrant labor from Asia. Focusing on the recent additions to Japan’s immigration control legislation, Naoto Higuchi identifies a shift from a preferential treatment of foreigners based on “blood ties” to a neoliberal model based on meritocracy. The new residence categories “Specified Skills 1 & 2” enable immigration authorities to select migrants and determine their rights and length of stay based on performance, gauged by language ability and skill acquisition. In contrast, the newly prepared visa status for fourth-generation Nikkeijin looks — at first glance — like a continuation of immigration based on ethnic selection criteria.

After seeing Boots Riley's excellent movie Sorry to Bother You this weekend and getting all fired up about fighting The Man, I talk about other anticapitalist satires and labor rights struggle movies. Then I interview a sharp, critical Korean-American about media coverage of Korea in the age of Trump. She also recommends following peace activist Christine Ahn on Twitter (https://twitter.com/christineahn).

A mini-episode where I talk about the June 30th Families Belong Together protest and explain what borders really are.

I'm Solace K. Ames—welcome to my podcast. If you're a weeaboo and listen to this podcast you might get a rash or something, hence the title. This is mainly a serious show about touchy subjects in both fandom and politics and the intersection thereof. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know!  My first episode contains an interview with a very cool aspiring Jodo Shinshu Buddhist minister and fellow fan of The Expanse. Then I talk for a bit about leftist cults from a leftist point of view and how to steer clear of them.

This week, we take a closer look at early communities of Nikkeijin -- people of Japanese descent -- in the United States and Hawaii.

This week, we begin a new series on the Japanese diaspora!