Study On Japanese Immigrants In Bolivia (1950s-1980s)

The Bolivia Japanese immigrants before World War II mostly migrated from Peru.After “rubber boom “Depression, they turned the focus in Riberalta to scatteringthroughout Bolivia. Compared with Peru, Brazil and other countries, the socialintegration between Bolivia Japanese immigrants and the Bolivia society was quite high.It is the fine relationship between Japanese immigrants in Bolivia and the Boliviancommunity, there was no too much anti-Japanese sentiment and movement in Bolivia. InWorld War II, although Bolivia and the United States stood together, the Japaneseimmigrants living in Bolivia did not suffer a huge impact.Those Janpanese post-war immigrants moving to Bolivia were actually the victimof World War II and the Cold War. Okinawan immigration is a epitome of the Cold War.Due to the geographical location of Okinawa as well as political reasons, in order tosafeguard the interests to build a military base, the United States was so forcible in landacquisition, resulting in a large number of people away from home in Colonia Okinawa,to immigrant place in Bolivia for Japanese.What is even more unfortunate, the diseaseresulted in the death of immigrants. Japanese mainland immigrants also reflects thesuffering caused by the Second World War. Due to the war and post-war punishment, andthe following collapse of the Japanese economy and political turmoil, the Japanesegovernment made the decision that these immigrants settled in Colonia San Juan ofBolivia. But in the process of immigration, the Japanese government did not fulfill theirresponsibilities. In order to stabilize the rule as soon as possible, they exaggerated thenumber of migrants in the development aspects, as well as similar means of deceptionwas used in the immigration process. They did all of these just to let those people migrateas soon as possible, and there was adequate investigations for the land in Bolivia, whichresulted in immigrants’ struggling in the original forest.After World War II, Japanese immigrants in Bolivia started to establish contact withand integrate into local society. However, they migrated and lived in groups after the war,the integration degree was inferior to prewar.