By Beatriz Esquivel
In the West, it is completely normal to turn to see the customs, traditions, and trends of the East and to be inspired by their culture to the extent that certain groups of people have completely adopted their esthetics. It is also enough to take a simple look at the popularity of word or phrase tattoos written with Chinese or Japanese characters that are not always translated as one would expect to understand how much such cultures have permeated our own.
A similar phenomenon occurs in reverse, particularly among a group of Japanese who have adopted the esthetics and identity of Chicanos in Los Angeles. A quick look at some of these photos by Jacob Hodgkinson could make any viewer believe that it is a scene captured on American streets. However, they have been taken in the neighborhoods of cities such as Tokyo and Osaka.
It is the attention to detail that characterizes Japanese culture that perfectly complements these scenes by Hodgkinson: from the altered lowriders, to the chains and rosaries on their necks, the baggy and oversized clothes with the bandanas around the head, typical of the chola esthetic, and the tattoos that cover backs, torsos, and full arms in which the Chicano imagery of the United States is replaced by that of Japan, but maintaining similar styles such as typography or the use of black ink.
However, the choice of clothing or automobiles is not the only Chicano indication. What makes them an urban tribe as such is that they have adopted a lifestyle that is intimately associated with the lives of gang members, but without the violence or crime that comes with it. Japanese men and women dance to the rhythm of independent Chicano hip-hop artists who have found a big market in Japan. Jaime Diaz, president of Urban Kings Music Group said:
“Japan has been a market where we can turn a profit. We distributed to the stores there, and it has helped us a lot. Japan is the first place to buy products from independent artists ».
American record companies are not the only ones to understand that an important market niche has opened up in Japan. In that country, there have been local artists who produce music that combines all these influences, which is much more evident when launching song in Spanish, English and Japanese.
However, despite all the similarities between Chicanos and this tribe -especially when the Japanese imitate the ways of walking and the signs when posing- in Japan, the Chicano movement does not take on gangster lifestyle -they have their own yakuza. Instead of crime and violence, it focuses on recovering the ideals of loyalty, family, and pride for their place of origin. Shin Miyata, owner of Barrio Gold Records, a label in Japan, explains it in the short Chicano documentary, made by Louis Ellison and Jacob Hodgkinson:
“We feel sympathy for them [the Chicanos] and relate to the way they express their opinions, love their gang, family and work hard on the things they love. In my opinion, this is what unites the Chicano and Japanese cultures”.
You can find more about Jacob Hodgkinson on his website.
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