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)

Wasserman,Fumiko Hachiya

Her motto came from her mother

Sansei judge for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California

Wasserman,Fumiko Hachiya

Mother founded Japanese language school in neighbors’ backyard

Sansei judge for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California

Yamada,Mitsuye

Her brother’s reasons as a No-No Boy

(b. 1923) Japanese American poet, activist

Kasahara,Haruo

Days I spent aching for Japan in tears (Japanese)

(b.1900) Issei plantation worker in Hawai'i.

Kasahara,Haruo

How we were treated on plantation after the attack on Pearl Harbor (Japanese)

(b.1900) Issei plantation worker in Hawai'i.