Linguistic Landscape of Japanese in Novi

Linguistic Landscape of Japanese in Novi

Jennifer Reed

This is a linguistic landscape study of the Japanese language in Novi, Michigan. It evaluates the motivations behind language use in connection to the community using historical research approaches. Asian-American landscapes remain understudied in this field. A review of past literature on linguistic landscapes, as outlined by Landry and Bourhis, provides context for this paper. Past work along with research on Japanese language and identity are then applied theoretically to various photos and resources collected from throughout Novi to draw conclusions about the Japanese language community there. Japanese language use in the area targets primarily literate Japanese audience with some regard to English speakers and Japanese speakers illiterate in Japanese. This is in accordance with its status as a language of a Japanese transplant and heritage population in an English dominant society. Future studies should focus on multilingualism in relation to permanent and temporary populations. Furthermore, a long-term study of the area could reveal further historical developments and economic motivations.