Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1180/

About her father

Oh my father was a typical Issei I would say. Number 1: he was super strict. And yet - that’s only one facet of his personality. But he did care for us, he was a very hard worker and I would say to the end of his life, he was super ethical. And so he had strength of character and he had a very good sense of humor. I used to go, I mean, he was in…was it Taul Building on First and San Pedro? Well, he had an office on a corner on the third floor and a lot of times I would ask him if he wanted me to clean his office, so I would go and clean his office and then children would come and he would be laughing and gushing over them and all this and that and he was really friendly, etc. and he would give them something later on and I would come home and say, “gee momma, how come papa is so nice to kids and he’s always telling us that hmph!” You know, and his favorite word to me was “baka!


families generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan migration

Date: February 3, 2010

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Eiko Masuyama, Carole Fujita, Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Margaret Kuroiwa is the third daughter of Dr. Daishiro Kuroiwa from Saga-ken, Japan and Agnes Haruyo Ogawa Kuroiwa. Her father was a prominent Issei physician who worked at the Turner Street Southern California Japanese Hospital, and was one of the five doctors, along with Dr. Tashiro, to file the lawsuit against the State of California. His practice was in Boyle Heights and in the Taul Building in Little Tokyo. He also treated tuberculosis patients at the Monrovia Sanitarium. She and her 4 sisters were born at the new Japanese Hospital on First and Fickett. (April 11, 2010)

George Katsumi Yuzawa
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Yuzawa,George Katsumi

Death of sister in October 1942

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

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Roy Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,Roy

Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Family separated in the camps

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,Bert A.

Family first

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,Bert A.

Being accepted as biracial family

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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George Yamada
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Yamada,George

Memories of railroad workers who stayed at family's prewar hotel in Spokane, Washington

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

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Paula Hoyos Hattori
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Hattori,Paula Hoyos

Her interests in Japanese culture (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

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Richard Mamiya
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Mamiya,Richard

Former child patient turned professional volleyball player

(b.1925) Sansei, cardiovascular surgeon.

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Margaret Oda
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Oda,Margaret

Growing up with Japanese language and values

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

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Sakaye Shigekawa
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Shigekawa, Sakaye

Joining the hospital unit in Santa Anita Race Track

(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California

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Doris Moromisato
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Moromisato, Doris

I’m a Japanese, Peruvian… who am I? (Spanish)

(b. 1962) Peruvian Poet, Okinawan descendant

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Henry Suto
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Suto,Henry

Fitting back into American life

(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.

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Henry Suto
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Suto,Henry

Helping youth in the community

(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.

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BJ Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,BJ

Three important things learned from father

Hawaiian businessman, developer.

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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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