Japanese Brazilian Return Migration and the Making of Japan's Newest Immigrant Minority

I think most people are surprised when they learn of the large Brazilian population in Japan, and also of the large Japanese population in Brazil. Here is a very good article which can provide some backgroud information for the curious.

I think what he says about the identity issues of Brazilians, towards the end of the article, holds true for most other immigrant populations in Japan as well. One of my Japanese-Peruvian friends, for example, has lived in Japan since he was 14 years old, speaks fluent Japanese, and even works now as an interpreter for the police department here. Outside of work, however, he shuns being identified as Japanese to the point where he refuses to speak Japanese in most situations, pretending not to understand when being spoken to. He identifies himself as Peruvian. He says that when you learn to speak Japanese well, your personality changes, since to speak Japanese like a native you must obey the etiquette rules of Japanese to hide your foreign-ness, holding back comments, gestures and opinions you might otherwise say in your native language. He doesn't seem to like putting forward the Japanese side of himself; he spends most of his time outside of work hanging out with other foreigners, speaking Spanish, English, or Portuguese.

And he speaks Japanese fluently-- Most foreigners, even part-Japanese foreigners here do not, whether they are Peruvians, Brazilians, Americans, Philipinos, etc.