Issei, Nisei, War Bride: Three Generations of Japanese American Women in Domestic Service

In this unique study of Japanese American women employed as domestic workers, Evelyn Nakano Glenn reveals through historical research and in-depth interviews how the careers of these strong, but oppressed women affected the history of Asian immigration in the San Francisco-Bay Area. Three generations of women speak, in their own words, about coping with degraded employment and how this work related to family and community life. The disproportionate concentration of Japanese American women in domestic service from the early part of this century to the present resulted from their status as immigrants and women of colour in a race and gender stratified local labour market. The three generations covered by this study pre-1924 immigrants (issei), first American born generation (nisei), and post-World War II immigrants (war brides) were subjected to multiple forms of oppression but were not appendages of men nor passive victims. Dr. Glenn shows how their struggles to achieve autonomy, dignity, and a suitable livelihood were essential to the survival of the family and the community. Although unique in many ways, the situation of the Japanese American woman has important parallels with that of other women of colour in the United States. Ironically her role as a domestic cast her in a menial, degraded job but often elevated her to the position of valued confidant to her employer. "Issei, Nisei, War Bride" is the first study to offer a sociological/historical perspective on these women. It addresses issues about the nature of labour systems in capitalist economies, the role of immigrant and racial ethnic women in those systems, and the consequences of participation in race and gender stratified systems for minority families and communities. Evelyn Nakano Glenn is Associate Professor of Sociology at State University of New York at Binghamton.