Transnational Diaspora Entrepreneurship : Cases from Brazil, Mexico and Japan

Abstract

This Open Access book is the first book to share in-depth narratives outlining the lived experiences of Japanese and Latin American Diaspora Entrepreneurs in Brazil, Mexico and Japan. It focuses in on the career paths of forty-seven entrepreneurs exploring how they negotiate their identity, culture, and heritage as they set-up businesses in a country outside their country of origin. In our previous book we explored Japanese Self-Initiated Expatriate Entrepreneurs (SIEE) in Southeast Asia, yet we see a significant difference between self-initiated expatriate entrepreneurs and second and third generation diaspora Japanese Latin American entrepreneurs. This book represents the entrepreneurs, their journeys, their successes, and their struggles. It provides a framework for better understanding diaspora ethnic entrepreneurship in cases where multiple identities and cultures are intertwined. This research exposes the political, sociological, economic, and cultural complexities of diaspora entrepreneurship as a means to support oneself in a ‘foreign’, yet somewhat familiar, country of destination. This book thus creates a new understanding of what it is to be a diaspora entrepreneur of Japanese heritage in a variety of contexts. This groundbreaking book delves into the compelling narratives of Japanese and Latin American diaspora entrepreneurs in Japan, Mexico, and Brazil. It highlights the career paths of 47 entrepreneurs, revealing how they navigate their identities, cultures, and heritage while establishing businesses far from their countries of origin. Unlike our previous book on Japanese Self-Initiated Expatriate Entrepreneurs (SIEE), this edition also uncovers the unique experiences of second and third-generation Japanese Latin American entrepreneurs. Through their stories of triumph and struggle, this book provides a deeper understanding of diaspora ethnic entrepreneurship, where multiple identities and cultures intersect. It also sheds light on the political, sociological, economic, and cultural complexities faced by these entrepreneurs as they build their lives in 'foreign' yet familiar lands. Discover a new perspective on what it means to be a diaspora entrepreneur of Japanese heritage in diverse contexts.