This paper will discuss an aspect of the history of Brazil, the settlement of the Japanese in Brazil. The paper will discuss some of the earliest Brazilian settlement patterns, focusing on the settlements of Japanese immigrants. The discussion will continue into more recent history, particularly the problems related to Japanese settlements during World War II.
Most Japanese came to Brazil sometime after 1899 and settled in agricultural regions like Sao Paulo, Parana and Mato Grosso. The Japanese colonies in Brazil are known as cysts, though they are also called quistos by Brazilians. These Japanese colonies tended to be close knit, with the Japanese preserving their cultural traits and resisting assimilation. During World War II, these Japanese colonies tended to be very nationalistic in favor of Japan. When it became apparent that Japan was losing World War II, secret societies were formed in Brazil's Japanese settlements. They practiced violence against other Japanese in Brazil who publicly admitted that Japan was losing the war (Worcester, 1973:196).
The violence of the Japanese secret societies in Brazil continued after World War II, when other Japanese who admitted Japan's defeat in World War II were murdered. It took several years for the Brazilian government to convince these diehard Japanese nationalists that Japan had actually lost World War II. Despite these problems with the Japanese in Brazil, the Brazilian government admitted more Japanese to Brazil after World War I because the Japanese immigrants were viewed as economic assets. The Brazilian government recognized the industriousness of the Japanese, and many Japanese immigrants helped develop the Amazon region (Worcester, 1973:196).
Compared to the total population of Brazil, the Japanese presence is relatively small, constituting less than 1 percent of Brazil's population in 1960. Ninety-nine percent of Brazil's immigrant population has its roots ...