Riding the Wave

Daily Life and Religion among Brazilian Immigrants to Japan in the Age of Covid-19 Pandemic

Bibliographic Data

ID3184835
AuthorsHugo Córdova Quero (0000-0001-9086-7756, Graduate Theological Union, corresponding author), Nilta Dias (Sophia University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume12
Issue11
Pages943
Publication date2021-10-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel12110943
OpenAlexW3211116322
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited16

In March 2020, the world folded before an imminent pandemic. Community gatherings, events, and rituals quickly moved online. Jobs halted or were conducted remotely. The fear of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted different areas of daily life. In this article, we propose examining and analyzing the experiences and narratives of Brazilian migrants in Japan. With the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act amendment on 8 December 1989, thousands of Japanese descendants born and raised in the Americas migrated to Japan. They are the offspring of Japanese immigrants who established colonies in the Americas in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Over time, the community of Brazilian immigrants in Japan fluctuated from being a minority to become the fifth-largest ethnic group of immigrants. Our analysis focuses on two areas of concern in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: daily life-including gender, and religion. On the one hand, daily life became cumbersome due to issues related to language and the hardships of accessing health services in a foreign land. On the other hand, we state that in the process of adaptation to the new society, the role of faith communities has been notable in offering support to these immigrants. Religious institutions, in particular, confronted the fact of moving their support and activities online with the consequent difficulties for those who are not tech-savvy or lack reliable connectivity. Both situations impacted Brazilian immigrants in different ways during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the agency they displayed in coping with its consequences

Acculturation · Economic growth · Ethnic group · Faith · Geography · Immigration · Pandemic · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Gender Studies · Law · Medicine · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Psychology · Socioeconomic Development in Asia

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