From Jap to Japanese: The Evolution of Japanese-American Stereotypes

Stereotypes are, for the holder, collections of fundamental characteristics that apply to any individual within a specified group, but even the most fervent user of stereotypes would probably admit to the tendency toward exageration and the frequency of nonsense which prevail in such rigid perceptions. Although inherently inadequate, stereotypes have been concocted and applied to every ethnic group. There is no doubt that one of the most interesting patterns of stereotyping applies to those Americans of Japanese ancestry.... The evolution of the image from "Jap" to Japanese is indeed a remarkable ocurrance. It is an account of a minority group seen through the veil of stereotypes - a veil originally fabricated o negative images and now woven over with complimentary depictions. A description of that evolution - a delineation of stereotypes, an examination of their salient dimensions, and an analysis of their functions - is the primary concern of this work. Excerpts from book's Preface