Being Japanese American: A JA Sourcebook for Nikkei, Hapa . . . & Their Friends
A celebration of JA culture: facts, recipes, songs, words, and memories that every JA will want to share.
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Gil Asakawa has worked in the media as a writer, editor, music critic and online expert for 40 years. He's currently Asoociate Editor for New Hope Network's Nutrition Business Journal.
Gil and his partner Erin Yoshimura recently launched visualizAsian.com, a website featuring live interviews with Asian American Pacific Islander leaders to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
The author of Being Japanese American (Stone Bridge Press, 2004) and co-author of The Toy Book (Knopf, 1991). He is a nationally-known speaker and commentator on Japanese American and Asian American identity and issues. He writes a blog, Nikkeiview.com, about pop culture and politics from an Asian American perspective. He also tweets, spends too much time on Facebook, and is a member of every social site and service he hears about.
"Being Japanese American is a superb guide to avoiding breaches of tact around Japanese friends, family, or visitors, regardless of one's own ethnic heritage or background, and is also chock-full of helpful ways to embrace, preserve, and treasure one's cultural identity."
- Midwest Book Review
"Offers a great opportunity for JAs to process their feelings and experiences in relationship to other JAs who, through their stories and photos, share empathy and understanding."
- Asian Reporter
"Teens who want to know a little more about contemporary Japanese American culture beyond all the history books about the World War II internment experience will find great information here..."
- Voice of Youth Advocates, April 2005 Issue
"A must-read book that will delight you with its humor and amuse you with its insights; for non-Asian, a must-read book if you're curious about what makes Japanese Americans tick."
- John Tateishi, National Executive Director, Japanese American Citizens League
"Part history, part photo album, part cultural document, part memoir, part language lesson, even part cookbook, Being Japanese American is an entertaining primer on many aspects of the Japanese American experience."
- BookDragon
"A lighthearted view into the unique lingo, idiosyncrasies and nuances of Japanese American life."
- DiscoverNikkei.org
