在日ラオス系定住者の相互扶助の展開過程(<特集>社会的排除/包摂の人類学)
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概要
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This paper discusses new places where resettled refugees live, in line with this issue's special theme of "on-site." Specifically, it describes the process of the resettlement of Lao refugees in Japan over the past three decades, focusing on their practices of mutual aid, particularly the way such practices are carried out in Kanagawa Prefecture, where most of the refugees have settled. The resettlement of Lao refugees in Japan started in 1979, and lasted until 2005, when the last Indochinese refugees entered the country, at which point Japan had accepted a total of about 1,300 refugees from Laos. When they arrived in Japan for resettlement, the Lao refugees were first accommodated in a "settlement promotion center" to learn the Japanese language and be trained in social skills. However, such training was not enough for many of the resettled refugees to prepare for living in Japanese society. They still practiced individual mutual aid, as well as relying on public support and volunteer activities. Some changes in their situation occurred in the 1990s. The Japanese economy rushed into a deep recession after the collapse of the bubble economy. At that time, one decade had already passed since the first Lao refugees started living in the country, and the various living situations of individual refugees had begun to diverge. In addition, it became harder for them to continue to receive support for problems in their daily life, since the public and voluntary support they had previously received had begun to drop off, given the general resolution of the Indochinese refugee problem. Under such circumstances, some resettled Lao refugees, whose life had been stable before, began to rely more on institutional mutual-aid practices. That situation accelerated the pace of activities by the Lao association in Japan, which had not been very active in the 1980s, and eventually led to the establishment of a Laotian cultural center that also functions as a Buddhist temple. The Lao association of Japan, headquartered in the cultural center/Buddhist temple complex, has continuously pursued activities since the 2000s. At the complex, which is used for the practice of Theravada Buddhism, the association serves to disseminate information among resettled Lao refugees, and gives support to individuals with serious problems. Through those practices and negotiations with Japanese associations, the members of the Lao refugee association have come to look upon the nature of their activities as being based on the traditions of Theravada Buddhism, which differ from the concept of "religion" understood by Japanese people generally. As a result, the Lao association of Japan is now preparing to apply to become an official nonprofit organization (NPO) instead of a religious corporation. Finally, the paper briefly discusses the living practices of the resettled Lao refugees in Japanese society based on the above description, as well in terms of the special theme of this issue.
- 2012-09-30