Female Japanese Immigrants To The United States In The 20th Century

The picture bridge and the war bridge from Japanese are two important waves of Asian female immigrants in American immigration history of 20th century.Although they immigrated to America in early 20th century and middle of 20th century respectively in different social background,both of them suffered a lot.Those women were significant to Japanese-American society and brought vitality to America.The research of their immigration will help us to have a comprehensive sight of Asian immigrants history of American in the first half of 20th century.This article depicts the experience of the picture bridge and the war bridge separately in first two chapters.As anti-Japanese movement was becoming heated,after American government reached the gentleman’s agreement with Japanese government,immigration from Japan was limited to a large extent.To avoid negative influence from the agreement,Japanese immigrants in America tried to get engagement with female in homeland only by exchange of letters and pictures.The female who married to the immigrants and entered America legally was called picture bridge.The situation of war bridge is quite different.After the Second World War,America occupied Japan with army stationed in main port city of Japan.Those soldiers started to contact with local resident including Japanese female.Some of them were in relationship with those female and even got married.The American soldiers usually took their spouse back to America when retiring and the female who married to American soldiers at that time was called war bridge.The third chapter,the article contrasts and analyses the experience of two waves of the female immigrants.Through international population mobility and culture clash,we can find the rapid changes in American and Japanese society.Firstly,traditional marriage culture under Japanese paternalism was replaced by concept of free love.Secondly,immigration policy of America was becoming liberal gradually.And the article is assumed to find out the role those female immigrants were playing in those transformation of the society.