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This study examines the strategies that African migrants in Japan adopt to build networks and utilize the social capital derived from the networks to achieve socioeconomic integration and mobility in Japanese society. It is based on a field study conducted within the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2012. The study shows that in spite of racial prejudice, the African migrants in Japan build and draw heavily on bridging and linking social networks to promote economic integration. They develop these cross-cultural networks and capital through intermarriage with Japanese women, friendship and business ties with African Americans, Japanese youth and Japan's business community. For some migrants, their high educational background facilitated their economic integration in Japanese society.
The number of Ghanaian immigrants' Catholic and Pentecostal/Charismatic churches has kept growing since this group began to settle in Italy from the late 1970s. This paper examines that role that these religious congregations play to facilitate the migrants' integration in the province of Vicenza. The paper shows that while the churches offer opportunities for the migrants to find their place in Italian society by providing them a place to be at home, a sense of belonging, identity and resources, the type of integration that the migrants foment through the churches appears to be rather segmented along racial and ethnic lines. Therefore, the churches' integration role would be enhanced if they open up their ethnic and racial borders and provide channels for Ghanaian and Italian populations to interact.Key words: Ghanaian Migrants, Italy, Churches, Integration.
ResumenEl número de iglesias carismáticas católicas y pentecostales de los inmigrantes ghaneses ha ido en aumento desde que este grupo comenzó a establecerse en Italia a finales de los setenta. Este artículo examina el papel que desempeñan estas congregaciones religiosas a la hora de facilitar la integración de los inmigrantes en la provincia de Vicenza. El estudio revela que mientras las iglesias ofrecen oportunidades para que los inmigrantes encuentren su lugar en la sociedad italiana, proporcionándoles un lugar para sentirse en casa, un sentido de pertenencia, identidad y recursos, el tipo de integración que los inmigrantes fomentan a través de las iglesias parece encontrarse más bien segmentada por motivos raciales y étnicos. Por lo tanto, el papel integrador de las iglesias se vería fortalecido si reconciliaran sus diferencias étnicas y raciales y ofrecieran cauces para que la población de Ghana e Italia interactuara.
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