Nobue Suzuki

Biography

My name is Nobue, which is pronounced “No ‘Boo,’ eh.” Its meaning in Japanese characters is growing tree branches/twigs. I was born in Tokyo, Japan, and I am an Aquarius. I was a non-traditional student, and my academic career started in the US. Besides my home country, I have lived and worked in various places, including the U.S., the Philippines, the U.K., and Australia.

I have done extensive research on the issues of cross-border marriages and gendered migrations involving Filipina/os. More specifically, my original research focused on Filipina-Japanese marriages in Japan and the preceding phenomenon of the migration of Filipinas to work as entertainers in Japan’s nightlife businesses. Gender has been one of the key concepts in my work, and I have analyzed the experiences not only of Filipinas but also those of Japanese men—the Filipinas’ partners—and Filipino “straight” and gay/transgender “men” (bakla).

Starting from the mid-2000s, I have been dealing with the issues that have arisen in the wake of Filipinas’ migrations to Japan. These include emerging concerns for the social, cultural, economic, and political rights and citizenships of children born to Filipina-Japanese as well as to Filipino co-ethnic couples. I am about to launch a project where a group of academics and people in non-profit sectors will create visual materials that may inspire people, especially Filipino residents in Japan, to move on and move up in their lives abroad. This project is our group members’ humble attempt to participate in public anthropology.