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2012 June 6 - 12 TOP3 [WELFARE]

Japanese Brazilians want their voice to be heard by Japanese gov’t

A young Japanese Brazilian on June 11 requested that the Japanese government “provide an opportunity to hear the testimonies of second generation Japanese Brazilians first hand” so that the government understands the hardships encountered by Brazilians of Japanese descent whose parents came to Japan to work.

Representing the Shizuoka-based Minority Youth Japan, 23-year-old Pablo Nadayoshi Rolin said, “It’s difficult for us to acculturate into Japanese society. We need government support.”

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Shiokawa Tetsuya accompanied Nadayoshi Rolin along with Tsumura Kimihiro and Nakamura Mayu who shot a documentary film on the issue of young Japanese Brazilians.

Shiokawa said to a government official, “What they hope for is an opportunity to have their opinions heard by the government.”

Tsumura said, “Young Brazilians of Japanese parentage cannot receive proper education because of their parents’ economic difficulties, and they are forced into unstable employment and are isolated from local communities.”

The revised-immigration law in 1990 caused an increase in the number of immigrant workers from Brazil of Japanese descent. In 2007, the number exceeded 300,000 workers. The 2008 bankrupt of Lehman Brothers, however, forced many of them to return to Brazil after losing their jobs. Yet, many of their children or grandchildren who were born and grew up in Japan chose to remain in Japan.