Nisei

or ni·sei

[ nee-sey, nee-sey ]

noun

, plural Ni·sei.

1. a person of Japanese descent, born and educated in the U.S. or Canada.

Nisei

/ ˈniːseɪ /

noun

1. a native-born citizen of the United States or Canada whose parents were Japanese immigrants

Nisei

1. Persons whose parents were born in Japan but who were themselves born outside Japan. Many Nisei were moved by force in the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II .

Word History and Origins

Origin of Nisei¹

1940–45, Americanism; < Japanese: literally, second generation; earlier ni-seĩ < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese èr two, second + shēng birth

Word History and Origins

Origin of Nisei¹

Japanese, literally: second generation

Example Sentences

Ten feet tall and made of black lacquered wood decorated with gold, the shrine was carried in the Nisei Week Festival parade in Little Tokyo in August 1960, The Times reported.

From Los Angeles Times

Some Little Tokyo businesses that served Issei and Nisei — Japanese immigrants and their American-born children — have closed or are struggling, while others have found a way to evolve and thrive.

From Los Angeles Times

Army, Okada served in an air unit known as The Flying Nisei, whose mission was to translate intercepted Japanese communication.

From Seattle Times

Nisei Veterans Committee, dedicated to preserving and honoring Japanese American legacies, has held a Memorial Day service since 1964.

From Seattle Times

It was there that he developed his checkerboard model, examining the interactions among various groups at the internment camps: the “clannish” Nisei; children of Japanese immigrants; more reclusive detainees; and camp administrators.

From New York Times