Ethnic Food Business As Cultural Practice

This paper aims to examine migrants' ethnic identity and cultural practices, based on field research conducted in an ethnic town. In Tsurumi ward, Yokohama city, historically many ethnic minorities including Okinawan, Korean, Chinese and Nikkei Latin American (Brazilian, Bolivian and Argentine etc.) have moved to work in industrial complex of coastal areas. Such immigrants have made this area multiethnic. I conducted participant observations to some ethnic groups (Okinawa Association, Brazilian NPO etc.). Also I conducted in-depth interviews with some families who have multiethnic backgrounds and experiences in order to understand their identities and their changes in the migration process. Based upon these field work data, this paper considers the social value of migrants from the methodological individualism.

In particular, this paper focuses in entrepreneurs of ethnic food business. For example, ethnic restaurant owners in this area are second generation migrant. They think their business not merely as a job but also as a cultural practice for keeping their ethnic culture. However, some ethnic owners have conflict because they must change flavor to suit Japanese guests' taste although most of guests think their ethnic food authentic. Besides some first generation do not admit their work as a cultural practice. Multi ethnic condition makes the situation even more complicated.

Taking a tour through these multiethnic migrants and their business, this paper charts an exploratory excursion through arguments that address 'ethnicity', identity', 'memory', 'authenticity', 'Invention of tradition' and cross-cultural encounters within the 'mixed' spaces and contradictory imperatives of postcolonial migrant in Japan urban area.