Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/921/

Grandparent's unspoken past

I heard a little bit about the history Japanese Americans and their struggle but, my grandparents rarely spoke of it. I think that they had gone through so much and really wanted to put it behind them and they never talked about it. It was really strange. Unless you specifically asked them what happened or what was it like for you. You know they just wanted to face forward and look into the future and they raised their own kids purely American.


families

Date: January 16, 2000

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

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

Interviewee Bio

Kristi Yamaguchi was born in 1971 in Fremont, California, a fourth-generation Japanese American. She was born with a foot deformity and at the age of six her family encouraged her interest in skating to develop her coordination and balance. In 1992, she captured the gold medal in womens’ figure skating at the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. (January 16, 2000)

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Family separated in the camps

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

Sogi,Francis Y.

Visiting family in Japan

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

Kobayashi,Bert A.

Family first

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

Kobayashi,Bert A.

Being accepted as biracial family

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

Yamada,George

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

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

Oda,Margaret

Growing up with Japanese language and values

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

Hirose,Roberto

Retaining Japanese customs (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

Hattori,Paula Hoyos

Her interests in Japanese culture (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

Hattori,Paula Hoyos

The memory of her grandfather (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

Hattori,Paula Hoyos

Studying Japanese to understand her grandfather (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

Hokama,Ryoko

The most memorable day of his life (Japanese)

(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean

Hokama,Ryoko

How he met his wife (Japanese)

(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean

Takagi,Kazuomi

No more close family in Japan (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

Shinki,Venancio

Iron discipline at home (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

Morton,Johnnie

Talking with Grandmother

(b.1971) Professional football player.