CHANGING ACHIEVEMENT PATTERNS OF THE JAPANESE IN THE UNITED STATES.

The article focuses on changing achievement patterns of the Japanese in the United States. The history of the Japanese group in the United States begins at the turn of the century with the entry of large numbers of immigrants. Academic achievement is one of the most important methods of utilizing the opportunities available in society, and the changing patterns of school achievement for the Japanese group are of major importance. Early in their adjustment to the United States, the Japanese were segregated, with corresponding social controls and a Japanese identity reinforced by an organized ethnic community and the lack of opportunities to participate in the broader community. With a breakdown of the ethnic community and increasing opportunities to participate in the broader one, the behaviors of the group are changing from typically Japanese to American. The current Sansei generation offers an example where behaviors are now approaching the American middle class in terms of academic achievement and social participation. The trend is towards a more all-around personality, with the scholarly role no longer so desirable.