http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2007/09/diasporic-remnants/ The Japan History Group Blog Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:08:31 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2007/09/diasporic-remnants/comment-page-1/#comment-83674 Alan Baumler Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:15:38 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/japan/2007/09/diasporic-remnants/#comment-83674 One thing I have found interesting about recent work on Chinese diasporas is that many of them matter even if the Chinese eventually disappear. As an American I am used to thinking that immigrants matter to the extent that the people stick around and become part of the rich tapestry of colorful ethnic groups that is the foundation stone of American culture. Of course Chinese coolies mostly came as single men, and thus while they can matter a lot to the economic and political history of, say, Cuba, they mostly vanish as that first generation dies out and nobody is inclined to care about their history. I think Japanese patterns are a bit different, but as a historian I like to think that even things that are entirely in the past matter One thing I have found interesting about recent work on Chinese diasporas is that many of them matter even if the Chinese eventually disappear. As an American I am used to thinking that immigrants matter to the extent that the people stick around and become part of the rich tapestry of colorful ethnic groups that is the foundation stone of American culture. Of course Chinese coolies mostly came as single men, and thus while they can matter a lot to the economic and political history of, say, Cuba, they mostly vanish as that first generation dies out and nobody is inclined to care about their history. I think Japanese patterns are a bit different, but as a historian I like to think that even things that are entirely in the past matter

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