Mixed Embeddedness of South American-Diaspora Ethnic Entrepreneurs in Japan.

This research uses the theoretical lens of transnational mixed embeddedness (Bagwell, 2018) to provide an analysis of the institutional embeddedness of South American Ethnic Entrepreneurs (SADEE) in Oizumi Town, Gunma Prefecture. Taking a social-constructive approach, in-depth narrative interviews were combined with document analysis to understand how and to what extent these entrepreneurs become institutionally embedded in life in Japan. Findings of this study will help to inform local policy makers when developing frameworks and systems to support new types of ethnic entrepreneurship. An ethnic business typically starts when an entrepreneur begins serving other members of the ethnic community and satisfies their specific ethnic needs (Greene and Owen, 1992). No better can this be seen than in Japan. Ninety-seven percent of the population of Japan are Japanese, with the remaining 2% classed as ‘foreign nationals.’ Within the 2%, there are a number of residents who have some form of Japanese ethnicity. Specifically, there are significant communities of Brazilians and Peruvians in Japan. Foreign people with Japanese ethnicity are known as Nikkei and many of them emigrate to Japan for work. Some of these dekasegi (in Portuguese, meaning ‘working away from home’) have gained Japanese citizenship or taken advantage of special visas afforded to them to be able to settle in Japan. Many of the Brazilian diaspora have turned to self-employment as a means of upward economic mobility. This study illustrates what institutional embeddedness indicators have impacted upon the SADEEs journey as entrepreneurs in a foreign country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]