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Japanese American facts for kids

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Japanese Americans
日系アメリカ人（日系米国人）
Nikkei Amerikajin (Nikkei Beikokujin)
United States Japan
Japanese American National Museum.jpg
Total population
773,714
0.2% of the total U.S. population (2018)
Regions with significant populations
Hawaii, the West Coast and urban areas elsewhere.
Languages
American English, Japanese and Hawaiian Pidgin
Religion
33% Protestantism
32% Unaffiliated
25% Buddhism
4% Catholicism
4% Shinto
Related ethnic groups
Japanese people, Ryukyuan Americans

Japanese Americans (Japanese: 日系アメリカ人, Hepburn: Nikkei Amerikajin) are Americans who are fully or partially of Japanese descent, especially those who identify with that ancestry and its cultural characteristics. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asian American group at around 773,000, including those of partial ancestry. According to the 2010 census, the largest Japanese American communities were found in California with 272,528, Hawaii with 185,502, New York with 37,780, Washington with 35,008, Illinois with 17,542, and Ohio with 16,995. Southern California has the largest Japanese American population in North America and the city of Gardena holds the densest Japanese American population in the 48 contiguous states.

Images for kids

  • Seattle - Japantown 1909 01

    A street in Seattle's Nihonmachi in 1909

  • Los Angeles, California. Evacuees of Japanese ancestry entraining for Manzanar, California, 250 mil . . . - NARA - 536765

    Families of Japanese ancestry being removed from Los Angeles during World War II

  • Japanese American Citizens' League as Anti-Axis Committee Headquarters, Los Angeles, 1941

    Anti-Axis Committee headquarters in the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles, 1941.

  • Seattle - Nihon Go Gakko 01

    Nihon Go Gakko in Seattle

  • 20140314 SAINTS

    Seigakuin Atlanta International School on March 23, 2014

  • USA-San Jose-Betsuin Buddhist Church-1

    San Jose Betsuin Buddhist Temple

  • Nebuta NiseiWeek2007

    A nebuta float during Nisei Week in Los Angeles

  • 20140810-0190 Tanabata Little Tokyo

    Kazari streamers hung during the Tanabata festival in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo

  • Seattle 2011 - Bon Odori 060

    Bon Odori in Seattle

  • Kagami mochi display at Nijiya Market

    A kagami mochi display for the upcoming Japanese New Year in San Diego's Nijiya Market

  • Japanese Village Plaza, Little Tokyo (19293489684)

    Little Tokyo Village in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo

  • Miyako Mall, Japan Center interior 2

    Miyako Mall in San Francisco's Japantown

  • Seattle - Uwajimaya Village 02

    Uwajimaya Village in Seattle

  • YoichiroNambu

    Yoichiro Nambu, the 2008 Nobel Laureate in Physics

  • Miné Okubo paused to have this picture taken (G-828) (cropped)

    1984 American Book Award winner Miné Okubo

  • MidoriInstructingStudent 2013rehearsal

    Midori Goto in 2013

  • Ford Konno 1952

    1952 gold medalist Ford Konno

  • Miyoshi Umeki

    1957 Academy Award winner Miyoshi Umeki

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Inmigración japonesa en los Estados Unidos para niños

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