Issei

or is·sei

[ ees-sey ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural Is·sei or is·sei.

a Japanese person who immigrated to the U.S. or Canada after 1907 and was not eligible until 1952 for citizenship.
any Japanese immigrant to the U.S.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Issei¹

1935–40; < Japanese, equivalent to is first + sei generation (earlier it-sei, it-seĩ < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese yì one + shēng birth)

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