Errata

The New York Times > National > Young Japanese-Americans Honor Ethnic Roots: "Gil Asakawa, author of 'Being Japanese American,' said a reason some young Japanese-Americans are asserting their ethnic identity might be that it has become cool to be Japanese.

'Japanese culture is hip in American mainstream, so the door has been opened for these Japanese-Americans to embrace the culture more,'' said Mr. Asakawa, who said he was jolted into consciousness about his heritage by the death of his father in the early 1990's.

But even as Japan's exports like anime and karaoke, not to mention its influences in food, technology and design, have become popular globally, many among the younger generations of Japanese-Americans say they are also looking in another direction, at what it means to be Japanese-American, not just of Japanese descent. Central to Japanese-American pride is surviving and thriving after the indignities of World War II.

'The culture and the traditional aspects go back to Japan, but I tend to look at the Japanese-American experience - my grandfather being in an internment camp,'' Ms. Cherry said. 'That's huge.''"