Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1054/

Japanese immigration with an Okinawan face (Spanish)

(Spanish) Japanese immigration to Peru was symbolically Japanese, but humanly Okinawan. Meaning, the Japanese symbolism of the emperor came from the Meiji State, from the state of Showa… the cults and the image of Japan as an exotic country… the reverence, the silence, a biotype. But in the daily life of human beings, the Okinawan arrived. What arrived to Peru wasn’t Japanese but Okinawa in everyday life. And that is shown by the number of human beings and by the number of habits that came to Peru. I am convinced that when they voted for Fujimori in the 90’s, they didn’t vote… They voted for the Japanese, in a symbolic way of speaking. However, humanly speaking, they voted for an Okinawan. The Okinawan is the good-natured person, the friend. The Okinawan was the woman that worked at the shops. Men too, gave credits, guaranteed, loans. Why? Because as a culture, the Okinawan are very, very expressive people: very expressive. So expressive, that they can’t handle them and they end up fighting with the other person because they can’t hide their emotions. They don’t have that handle of silence that the Japanese culture has. Okinawan people are very funny. They cry, shout, dance… everything ends in a dance, in friendships. And that is not Japanese, no way. Even here to make business between Japanese in the Japanese community is different to do businesses with a Japanese descendant than an Okinawan descendant.


immigration Okinawans Peru

Date: February 26, 2008

Location: Lima, Peru

Interviewer: Harumi Nako

Contributed by: Asociación Peruano Japonesa (APJ)

Interviewee Bio

Doris Moromisato Miasato (1962) was born in Chambala, an agricultural zone of Lima, Peru. She graduated with a degree in Law and Political Science at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

She has published the collection of poems Morada donde la luna perdió su palidez [Home were the moon lost its paleness] (1988), Chambala era un camino [Chambala was the path] (1999), Diario de la mujer es ponja [Diary of a Jap woman] (2004), Paisaje Terrestre [Terrestrial Path] (2007), as well as the story book Okinawa, un siglo en el Perú [Okinawa. A century in Peru] (2006). Her poems, stories, essays, and features have also been included in several anthologies and have been translated into several languages.

She is an ecologist, feminist and Buddhist. In 2006, the Okinawa Municipality nominated her as an Ambassador of Good Will. Nowadays, she is columnist for the Discover Nikkei Website, and since 2005 she has managed the organization of book fairs as Cultural Director of Cámara Peruana del Libro. (February 26, 2008)

Akira Watanabe
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Watanabe,Akira

Origins of the Matsuri Daiko Group in Peru (Spanish)

(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru

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Akira Watanabe
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Watanabe,Akira

The kimochi surpasses technique (Spanish)

(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru

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Toshiro Konishi
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Konishi,Toshiro

Integrating As First-Generation Japanese-Peruvian (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

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Toshiro Konishi
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Konishi,Toshiro

Peru Representative vs. Japan Representative (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

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Toshiro Konishi
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Konishi,Toshiro

World-Renowned Peruvian Cuisine (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

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Toshiro Konishi
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Konishi,Toshiro

Fusion Cuisine (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

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Toshiro Konishi
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Konishi,Toshiro

Thoughts on Japan (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

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Toshiro Konishi
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Konishi,Toshiro

Bento menu for hostage incident (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Okinawan Americans

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

General reasons why people left Japan for Peru

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Parents identification as Peruvian Okinawan

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Okinawan cultural appreciation

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Prejudice against Okinawans from mainland folks

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Working together in Okinawa using three languages

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Jimmy Naganuma
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Naganuma,Jimmy

Forcibly deported to the U.S. from Peru

(b. 1936) Japanese Peruvian incarcerated in Crystal City

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