Interviews
His parents' experience with Japanese resistance toward intermarriage with Okinawans
My father was Okinawan and my mother Japanese, what they call Naichi. And those days, the Okinawans and the Japanese, they're not too keen about marrying like that. It's just like me, now, when I met my wife. My name is Yonamine, that's an Okinawan name, and my wife's name was Iwashita. And lot of times, my wife's parents wasn't too keen about me going with their daughter. My wife's parents used to get calls from the Okinawans says that Leave the Okinawan boy alone. Let your daughter marry the Japanese, the Okinawans marry the Okinawans.
Date: December 16, 2003
Location: Hawai'i, US
Interviewer: Art Hansen, John Esaki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.
Explore More Videos
Being Nikkei: A Double Responsibility (Spanish)
(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan
The Impact of Technology in Japan (Spanish)
(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan
Discrimination for Nisei doctors
(1928–2016) Daughter of an Issei doctor
The Secret to Youth (Japanese)
(b.1908) Daugther of the first publisher of the Rafu Shimpo
Interest in Japan stemmed from his mother and grandmother’s stories
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Dreamed of becoming an Enka singer
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
His clothes are part of his identity
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Hopes everyone pursues their dreams regardless of race or heritage
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Considers Pittsburg his home, but always wanted to live in Japan
(b. 1981) Enka Singer