Entrevistas

1. The Origin of my Name (Japanese)

2. Attending Kindergarten in Panama (Japanese)

3. My father who returned by prisoner of war exchange ship (Japanese)

4. Meeting Harry for the first time (Japanese)

5. On international marriages (Japanese)

6. Masao-san (Japanese)

7. Conflicted about immigrating to America (Japanese)

8. You can’t be loyal to two countries (Japanese)

9. Respecting the will of a five-year-old daughter (Japanese)

10. Why I’m glad I immigrated to America (Japanese)

Schneider,Jean Hamako

(n. 1925) Novia de la guerra

Attending Kindergarten in Panama (Japanese)

(Japanese) After entering elementary school, I only attended for two or three months. Then, in the summer of that year, I went to Panama. I went when I was seven. As soon as I got there, my father took me to where the smallest children, kindergarteners, got together. It was a kindergarten where all the white children went.

When I came back to Japan, it was when I was in the third grade. So, in actuality, I was only in first grade for two or three months and I didn’t even go to second grade. I came back toward the end of third grade, so, for the most part, I don’t have a first or second grade education. So, if I’m ever asked my educational record, I have to take out those two years. It’s kind of a funny situation. And it’s because when I was seven, I was going to kindergarten with all the three and four year olds.

Panamá

Fecha: January 26, 2012

Zona: California, US

Entrevista: John Esaki, Yoko Nishimura

País: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Entrevista

Jean Hamako Schneider (apellido de soltera: AMANO) nacida en 1925 en la Ciudad de Yokohama, Japón. En 1933 su padre, el famoso hombre de negocios en América Latina, Yoshitaro AMANO se lo lleva a Panamá y allí permenece durante 2 años. Su padre como permaneció en Panamá quedó atrapado por la Segunda Guerra Mundial y recién en 1942 pudo regresar a Japón con un barco de intercambio de prisioneros. En la posguerra, dado que Hamako trabajaba en la radio conoce a quien será su marido, a Harry Schneider, que era un miembro de la MIS – Military Intelligence Service, perteneciente a las fuerzas de ocupación norteamericana. En 1948 se casa con Harry y dos años después se va a vivir a los Estados Unidos como “novia de la guerra” (sensoo hanayome). Tienen una hija y luego se naturaliza norteamericana. Actualmente, vive en la ciudad de Encinitas en el Estado de California. (Setiembre de 2014)