Expanding Translocal Capability: Ethnic Empowerment Education and Social Inclusion of Brazilians in Japan

This study examines how ethnic empowerment education contributes to the inclusion of Brazilian immigrants within transnational social spaces.Drawing on Sen's capability approach and the concept of empowerment education, it defines ethnic empowerment education as community-driven practices created and managed by migrants themselves, which respect ethnic identity while providing resources such as language learning, vocational training, and community-based networking.Fieldwork was conducted between 2017 and 2022 at Brazilian schools in Japan, a distancelearning university in Brazil, a pastry training course, and a language school, and included interviews with students, teachers, and parents.The findings show that leveraging Brazilian educational resources strengthens social networks, facilitates integration, and opens new career pathways.Emphasizing lifelong learning and non-formal education, the analysis highlights the role of community-based programs in fostering empowerment.In doing so, the study challenges conventional perspectives that frame immigrants primarily as recipients of aid, instead presenting them as active agents within host societies.Taken together, it offers insights into strategies that can promote social inclusion and improve the quality of life of transnational migrants.immigrants, this paper adopts the term "immigrant" to align with international research contexts.