Being multi-ethnic seems to be something of a contradiction. How can someone be Japanese, yet not be Japanese at the same time? The fact that multi-ethnics have access to two or more cultures,...Show moreBeing multi-ethnic seems to be something of a contradiction. How can someone be Japanese, yet not be Japanese at the same time? The fact that multi-ethnics have access to two or more cultures, languages, and consequently two or more sets of values can influence how they identify themselves according to the situation, resulting in multiple possible identities. This study will explore multi-ethnic identities from the perspective of multi-ethnic Japanese individuals themselves. The focus lies on tracking down and exploring multi-ethnic adolescents’ experiences of being Othered in Japan and look at the key elements that need to be examined when analyzing multi-ethnic identity. How do multi-ethnics manage feeling a constant mismatch between how they identify themselves and how others identify them? How do they then find a means to feel ‘normal’, like they belong? These are the main questions that I will focus on answering in this thesis.Show less
