SHE LOOKS LIKE US: REPRESENTATION OF IDEALIZED ETHNIC BEAUTY IN MAGAZINE’S IMAGES, LOCAL ADVERTISEMENT FOR MIGRANTS

Year 2010, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 113 - 119, 01.12.2010

Yumiko Yamazaki Chiemi Yamazaki

Abstract

This study aims to examine representation of idealized beauty and self-image of Brazilian
migrants (descendant of Japanese migrants to Brazil, i.e. ethnic Japanese) in Hamamatsu, Japan.
Hamamatsu city has the biggest population of Brazilian migrants community in Japan, thus there's
demand for ethnic goods, which are widely available at about 80 ethnic shops in city. Teen
magazine is good orientation of appearance and behavior for such migrant-rooted girls, which
provides concepts of "ideal beauty" and "ideal looking of self".
In this study, we focus on how concept of idealized beauty appears in Brazilian teen magazines
which are imported to Japan for migrants and compare with local ads, free paper, magazines, and
news paper to analysis the difference between them. Previous studies show Japanese Brazilian
migrants have strong identity as a descendant of Japanese migrants because of their oriental
appearance and cultural roots, although their preference changes gradually toward more
"Brazilian" by being rejected their Japanese identity in Japanese society. It shows also those
segregated immigrants tend to over-build their cultural and ethnic identity, which appears often as
more "Brazilian-like" appearance (e.g. fashion, hair style).
However, our analysis indicates that their appearance and behavior become not significant
culture-of-origin-oriented, even their culture of origin-oriented appearance is also strongly
influenced by host country's culture. While Brazilian magazine indicates us concept of ideal
Brazilian beauty in Brazil, local advertisement for Brazilian migrants in Hamamatsu city shows us
the real representation of these migrants in Japan. From this perspective, the image in local ads
etc. may reflects new culture which is mixed both Japanese and Brazilian one.

Keywords

Image, Beauty, Representation, Migration, Identity

References

• Andréia Ferreira, (Translated by André Soares) The Multiple Identities of the Nikkei Community The Brazilian Media Landscape in Japan , http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2008/10/8/multiplas-identidades/ (Accessed 15.5 2010)
• Azevedo, Fernando de (1943), Brazilian Culture, translated by William Rex Crawford, New York : Macmillan company
• Friedan, Betty (1963), The feminine Mystique, New York:W. W. Norton & Company
• Hall, Stuart (1973), Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse, Univ.B'ham.,Centre for Contemp.Cult.Studs.
• (1997), Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, London:Sage
• Publications & Open University Lowenstein, Karl (1942), Brazil under Vargas. New York: Macmillan
• McLuhan, Marshall (1964), Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, New York:McGraw- Hill Book Company
• McLuhan, Marshall & Fiore, Quentin (1967), The medium is the massage: An Inventory of Effects, New York: Bantam.
• Said, E.W. (1978), Orientalism, New York:Georges Borchardt Inc.