RT Article
T1 Japanese Immigrants and Their Christian Communities in North America: A Case Study of the Fukuinkai, 1877-1896
JF Japanese journal of religious studies
VO 34
IS 1
SP 229
OP 244
A1 Yoshida, Ryō 1957-
LA English
YR 2007
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1698754329
AB On 6 October 1877, several Japanese Christian students living in San Francisco gathered and organized the Fukuinkai (Gospel Society) for Bible study and to encourage mutual concern and support among members who shared similar difficulties and struggles. In addition to being the first organization established by Japanese in the United States, it was regarded as a "Japanese student's cradle society" which provided a supportive environment that enabled migrant students to continue their studies and cope with the challenges of living in American society. A review of the literature indicates that the Fukuinkai has largely been studied from the standpoint of church history or in relation to missionary programs and been seen primarily as an agent of assimilation into American culture. This case study reveals a more complicated picture and indicates that the established interpretation needs to be re-examined. An analysis of the educational programs of the Fukuinkai shows that it cultivated hybrid activities among its members. It provided the context for Japanese students to reconsider and appreciate their own cultural values and heritage, but also nurtured a transnational consciousness through its social, political, and cultural ties with Japan. At the same time, it helped to develop a consciousness of rights among members in their relationship to and involvement with the host society.
K1 Bible
K1 Christian History
K1 Christian missionaries
K1 Immigration
K1 Japanese culture
K1 Migrant Communities
K1 Protestantism
K1 Public Schools
K1 Religious Studies