Japanese American Food

In the history of Japanese immigration to America, foodways have represented both stable identity and economic, political, and cultural change. Foods are most commonly related to family rather than national identity. Particular dishes are emblematic of Japanese American historical experiences. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Japanese communities in Hawaii and on the West Coast of the mainland, the internment camps during World War II, and postwar dispersals across mainland America demonstrate the maintenance, adaptation, and innovation of diet. The influence of cultural conservatism on the one hand and assimilation on the other led to culturally mixed menus. These adapted and acculturated dishes often are more significant for expressing ethnic identity as it has evolved than are “home country” foods.