Nisei

American  

[nee-sey, nee-sey] / ˈni seɪ, niˈseɪ /

Or nisei

noun

plural

Nisei

1. a person of Japanese descent, born and educated in the U.S. or Canada.

---

Nisei British  

/ ˈniːseɪ /

noun

1. a native-born citizen of the United States or Canada whose parents were Japanese immigrants

---

Nisei Cultural  

1. Persons whose parents were born in Japan but who were themselves born outside Japan. Many Nisei were moved by force in the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II.

---

Etymology

Origin of Nisei

1940–45, < Japanese: literally, second generation; earlier ni-seĩ < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese èr two, second + shēng birth

Example Sentences

Manning is Nisei and Choctaw and her husband, Antonio, is African American, and she found Altadena to reflect the community she wanted to be a part of.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

Some Little Tokyo businesses that served Issei and Nisei — Japanese immigrants and their American-born children — have closed or are struggling, while others have found a way to evolve and thrive.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2024

“John wanted to write the great American novel. This is the great Japanese American novel, the great Nisei novel,” Abe said, referring to the term for Japanese Americans born in the U.S. to immigrant parents.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2023

Nisei Veterans Committee, dedicated to preserving and honoring Japanese American legacies, has held a Memorial Day service since 1964.

From Seattle Times • May 25, 2023

The one hundred Nisei trainees looked on in silence and gave no indication that they approved of either man.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson