The workers
Unemployment
is the primary reason why Nikkei-Brazilians emigrate to Japan. Their
ancestry grants them the automatic legal right to work and live in Japan
without the hassles of acquiring false documents and living in fear of deportation.
As blue collar workers in factories, Nikkei-Brazilians make enough
money to lead relatively comfortable lives and still be able to send cash
back home. However, those who come to Japan on false documents get lower
pay, but, at the same time, they are more likely to be hired by factories
because the companies can pay them less.
Many Nikkei-Brazilians hope to accumulate enough money to open
a business in Brazil. Although many Brazilian workers have university degrees
and some held prestigious titles in Brazil, they have turned to the hard
labor of the factory because this is where they can hope to acquire the
financial means necessary to make positive changes in their lives. The factories
of Oizumi provide means for upward mobility in Brazil.
Personal account of a factory worker