nisei
UK[niːˈseɪ]US[niˈseɪ]
n
A person born in the US or Canada whose parents were immigrants from Japan.
n
A person born in a country other than Japan of parents who emigrated from Japan.
Etymology
The term 'nisei' is a loanword from Japanese, written with the kanji characters 二世, which literally mean "second generation." It was adopted into English in the early 20th century, specifically within the context of Japanese immigration to North and South America. The word directly reflects the Japanese practice of classifying generations of emigrants and their descendants: 'issei' for the first immigrant generation, 'nisei' for their children, and 'sansei' for the grandchildren. In English, it retains this specific generational meaning, referring to the children of Japanese immigrants who are born and raised in their new country, often navigating a dual cultural identity.
Analysis
The word is a direct borrowing from Japanese and is not productively formed from separable English morphemes. It consists of the Japanese elements 'ni' (second) and 'sei' (generation).
Examples
Many Nisei served with distinction in the United States Army during World War II.
Her grandparents were issei, making her a nisei, born and raised in California.
The museum's exhibit focused on the experiences of the Nisei generation in Canadian internment camps.