Interviews
Accepted by Japanese society as I learned more Japanese (Japanese)
(Japanese) In my early days in Japan, when I couldn’t understand Japanese, I think that people treated me differently, in a discriminatory way. But I’m not really sure if it was because I’m a foreigner or Brazilian. I had a hard time getting along with people around me, as some of them said to me, “Go back to Brazil” or I had things stolen at school. But at the same time, I think that I was partly responsible because I didn’t know about Japan well enough, and that things would have been different if I’d had a better understanding.
So, like I said, I’m not sure if it was discriminatory to begin with, because as I learned more Japanese, I was able to make more friends and even people who disliked me, they also got friendly, so it might have been because we couldn’t communicated enough. I don’t think I’ve experienced discrimination after I learned Japanese.
Date: October 18, 2016
Location: Gunma, Japan
Interviewer: Shigeru Kojima
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Change in attitudes after World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Thoughts on the post-9/11 atmosphere in the U.S.
(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.
Grandfather's arrival in the U.S., experiencing discrimination
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Dealing with racism within army unit in Korea
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Collection of artifacts depicting racial stereotypes influences art
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Encountering racial discrimination at a public swimming pool
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Making the decision to resist the draft
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Anti-Japanese sentiment at the time of World War II
(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada
Undergraduate studies interrupted following Pearl Harbor
(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores
Difficulty getting work during World War II
(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores
His experiences in Chicago after WWII
(b.1929) Pioneer medical researcher in tissue transfer and organ transplantation.
Discharged from the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor
(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel