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Japanese people first settled in Australia in the late nineteenth century, yet the history of Japanese Australians remains mostly unknown. In fact, many contemporary people of Japanese heritage often feel alienated from their own ethnic history, even actively rejecting any connection to the Japanese diaspora. This article examines the reasons behind this phenomenon and how the group Nikkei Australia grew out of a need to explore these issues of ambivalent identity. Nikkei Australia is group of researchers and individuals with an interest in rediscovering and retelling Japanese Australian diasporic stories. Drawing on personal narratives and reflections, this article charts the inception of Nikkei Australia and the group's academic, artistic and cultural activities to date, as well as the issues and ideas that inform and frame the group's tasks ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]