Networking Based on Cultural Capital and its Succession among South American Nikkeis in an Okinawan Host Society : Focusing on Qualitative Interviews and Surveys in 2015

This paper aims to empirically analyze how South American Nikkeis have continued a relationship with their Okinawan host society. In mainland Japan, South American Nikkeis tend to come to Japan as dekasegi workers (temporary foreign workers.) On the other hand, in Okinawa, most South American Nikkeis were persuaded to come to Okinawa by their relatives as return-migrants in order to inherit homes and tombs and due to fears from the political instability of South America around 1990. This paper analyzed 3 points: ①contact with the host society, ② networking based on cultural capital, and ③ the succession of cultural capital through the qualitative research. This research focused on (1) migration processes, (2) networks, (3) families, (4) education, (5) occupation, (6) entertainment, and (7) their interaction with the tourism industry. In conclusion, it was found that ① there are many Nikkeis who have established a network of both Okinawan relatives and Nikkeis in Okinawa, ② many Nikkeis have established relationships through leveraging both Okinawan and Latin American cultural capital in the form of bridging social capital and ③ it is difficult for Nikkeis to pass on their cultural capital to their children in public places such as schools; however, cultural capital and the Nikkei consciousness still guides in the home and can be passed on there