Difference Between Issei And Nisei

Issei Versus Nisei
Nisei Daughter is a memoir of the author, Monica Sone’s experience growing up as a Japanese American in the United States prior to and during World War II. Born in America to Japanese immigrant parents, Sone is referred to as a Nisei, a second-generation Japanese American. Sone’s parents, Issei, the first-generation Japanese immigrants to America. Because Nisei were born in the United States they were considered to be an American citizen, but due to immigration laws any Issei was forbidden from becoming a U. S. citizen. Sone recollection of this time period of her life illustrates many themes throughout the memoir. One of these themes that Sone touches upon is the conflict between old and new, the Issei and Nisei.
Many Nisei found themselves torn between their Japanese ancestry and their American upbringings. They often had to serve as cultural or linguistic interpreters for their Issei parents, many of whom could barely speak broken English and were still very unfamiliar with American customs. Japanese nationals often times criticized the Nisei for abandoning their roots, yet they were unable to fully assimilate into the American mainstream thanks to widespread fear and prejudice toward the Japanese

It is through these mundane interactions that Sone illustrates the process of assimilation, wherein members of a minority group adopt the behaviors and attitudes of the majority population among which they live. In Nisei Daughter, the issue of assimilation becomes especially complex, as the Issei were more resistant to letting go of their once strong heritage. While most Nisei made a great effort to assimilate, a significant segment of the American population seems to resist, and even thwart, these efforts. This brought yet another conflict between the two generations of Japanese Americans during the pre-World War II