A Study Of Japanese Ethnic Identity In John Okada's No-No Boy

With the development of globalization,diasporic literature rises gradually.It focuses on the cultural identity of diasporic ethnic,which is a key question in cultural study.In addition,cultural identity is a hot topic in both postcolonialism and postmodernism.The thesis aims to analyze cultural identity of Japanese American in John Okada's No-No Boy based on the theory of cultural identity and diaspora by Stuart Hall and Homi Bhabha's postcolonial theory about identity.This thesis consists of five parts.Part one introduces the background ofNo-No Boy,literature review as well as research methods,purpose and significance.The second part discusses issei's adherence to the motherland cultural identity,which mainly explains issei's Japanese identity,the causes and consequence.Issei hate American dominant culture and hope to keep the purity of identity,which however in the multicultural discourse is untenable.Their strategy to deal with identity problems is doomed to be untenable.The third part demonstrates nisei's adherence to American identity,which pays attention to yes-yes boys' claiming Americaness and negation of their Japanese cultural root.Their cultural identity is constructed based on their embracing to American culture and the suppression from American hegemonism.This strategy for identity construction takes no effect for solving their identity anxiety.The fourth part analyses no-no boys' hybrid identity in multicultural context.The protagonist,Ichiro can not abandon his Japanese part in his identity and can not escape the assimilation by American dominant culture.During the "playing" in double consciousness,Ichiro gradually recognizes his hybridity of identity and gets a glimpse of hope from that.Finally,it is the conclusion that Japanese ethnic experience the constructive process of identity from the adherence to Japanese identity to embracing American identity and then to hybrid identity.Identity construction of diaspora ethnic should jump out of binary opposition and be the result of cultural negotiation.The cultural identity of diaspora ethnic is an endless construction process with uncertainty and it changes with the culture and environment.This study interprets No-No Boy from the perspective of cultural identity,which makes up a blank in the study of the novel.The study highlights the identity troubles of Japanese Americans in multicultural discourse and the courage that gives John Okada the determination to voice for their own ethnic in American hegemonic culture.