A study was done that compared the parental involvement of three generations of Japanese Americans in their children's education, particularly their involvement in academic work and extracurricular activities and perceived barriers to involvement. First generation Japanese American immigrants are called "Isseis" in Japanese; second generation, first American-born, Japanese Americans are called "Niseis"; and the third generation Japanese Americans are called "Sanseis." The project used a case study oral history approach on 69 Japanese Americans in Hawaii who ranged in age from 29 to 81 years. There were 10 Isseis, 49 Niseis, and 10 Sanseis. Other sources of data included historical documents such as high school yearbooks, school newspapers, and student handbooks. The data were analyzed using a multiple comparative analysis. The results show that ensuing generations of Japanese Americans became more active and directly involved in the education of their children. This evolutional development was highly related to language communication and familiarity with the dominant culture. The Americanization of Japanese immigrants along with succeeding generations who were educated in American schools reflect the role that American parents play in the education of their children. For the immigrant generation, several social, economical, and cultural difficulties acted as barriers to parental participation. With the exception of time and economics, succeeding generations were not hampered by the same barriers as was the immigrant generation. Included are 11 references. (JB)