Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1404/

Luckiest Issei

My father is just like one of the Issei, work hard, and be honest. And everything keep clean. And obey to order. So I think Mr. Cotton liked my father's working habits...? Not habits... ethics. So once my father felt Mr. Cotton's kindness, he believed him like a god, I guess. And also, Mrs. Cotton teaching him everything, high society's manners. So my father, when I was a kid, my father was very strict about table manners, how to eat with a fork and knife, how to drink soup, how to eat and cut meat.

After you guys growing up, and maybe they want back to USA or foreign student to America. That time, I don't want you guys to get poor feeling from the white student, so you should know the manners, etiquette. That was my teacher's, what my father taught us. That was all learned from Mrs. Cotton. So overall, my father was really luckiest Issei, I guess.


aesthetics education ethics generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan metaphysics migration psychology theory of knowledge values

Date: January 31, 2012

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki, Yoko Nishimura

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

Interviewee Bio

Edward Toru Horikiri (b. 1929), Kibei Nisei, was born in Little Tokyo, but moved with his family back to Japan when he was 18 months old. He was raised and educated in Japan during World War II, but decided to return to the U.S. in 1952 in order to re-establish the family business that was disrupted by the War. However, lacking sufficient English language skills, he did a variety of jobs including gardener, houseboy, truck driver, and grocery and supermarket employee. He continued to be involved in cultural activities through Japanese language community organizations and friendships with artists such as Taro Yashima. (June 2014)

Roy Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Hirabayashi,Roy

Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

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

en
ja
es
pt
Dale Minami
en
ja
es
pt
Minami,Dale

Impact of the original Korematsu case on current events

(b. 1946) Lawyer

en
ja
es
pt
Kazuomi Takagi
en
ja
es
pt
Takagi,Kazuomi

Learning Spanish (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

en
ja
es
pt
Johnnie Morton
en
ja
es
pt
Morton,Johnnie

Attending Japanese school

(b.1971) Professional football player.

en
ja
es
pt
George Yoshida
en
ja
es
pt
Yoshida,George

Ways of Fitting In

(b. 1922) Musician

en
ja
es
pt
Clifford Uyeda
en
ja
es
pt
Uyeda,Clifford

Japanese Language School

(1917 - 2004) Political activist

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Suto
en
ja
es
pt
Suto,Henry

School life in Japan (Japanese)

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

en
ja
es
pt
Sumiko Kozawa
en
ja
es
pt
Kozawa,Sumiko

Learning English

(1916-2016) Florist

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Suto
en
ja
es
pt
Suto,Henry

Working tirelessly after the war (Japanese)

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

en
ja
es
pt
BJ Kobayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Kobayashi,BJ

From attorney to developer

Hawaiian businessman, developer.

en
ja
es
pt
William Hohri
en
ja
es
pt
Hohri,William

Japanese American, not Japanese

(1927-2010) Political Activist

en
ja
es
pt
Tamio Wakayama
en
ja
es
pt
Wakayama,Tamio

Defining "Nikkei"

(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist

en
ja
es
pt
Susumu “Sus” Ito
en
ja
es
pt
Ito,Susumu “Sus”

Feeling prejudice while looking for jobs

(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

en
ja
es
pt
Susumu “Sus” Ito
en
ja
es
pt
Ito,Susumu “Sus”

Invited to teach at Harvard by his boss

(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

en
ja
es
pt
Fred Y. Hoshiyama
en
ja
es
pt
Hoshiyama,Fred Y.

Advice from his mother

(1914–2015) Nisei YMCA and Japanese American community leader

en
ja
es
pt