Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1606/

Life upon arrival (Japanese)

(Japanese) I was in my third year at college when first I came to America. At the Haneda airport my classmates wrote messages on Japan’s national flag and called out banzai for me. I got here and had a hard time finding a job. It was just around the time when Apollo 13 landed on the moon. I was walking down the Olympic Boulevard and heard a car honk, telling the mission had been accomplished. As for me, I was jobless and was thinking, people would laugh at me if I went back to Japan now. There were times when I was shaking and kept asking myself, What do I do? What do I do? as I was eating bread in a park. Luckily, I was able to get a job when I was in school. I washed dishes at the House of Pancake, a place run by a Nikkei named Kuwada-san. I was able to settle a bit there.


agriculture communities gardeners gardening generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan migration postwar Shin-Issei United States World War II

Date: August 4, 2015

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Mitsue Watanabe

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

Interviewee Bio

In 1969, he arrived in America for the first time. He lived in Los Angeles for a year and a half, traveled to various places around the world for about six months and went back to Japan. As he was deeply inspired by the life in a foreign country, however, he decided to go back and moved to America with a tourist visa. He had a job as a helper for gardeners for about two years at first, and then started working on his own. With an official visa, he got a foot in the restaurant industry. He currently runs a Japanese-style drinking place and diner, Honda-Ya, a restaurant chain in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. (August 2018)

Bannai,Lorraine

The importance of Japanese American role models in childhood community

(b. 1955) Lawyer

Bannai,Lorraine

Recognizing issues of dual identity in the nisei generation

(b. 1955) Lawyer

Bannai,Lorraine

Heightened awareness of identity as a Japanese American

(b. 1955) Lawyer

Hirose,Roberto

Growing up with some Japanese families (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

Hirose,Roberto

The various realities of Nikkei in Latin America (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Relief fund to support Japanese communities (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Role of Assistancia Social dom Jose Gaspar (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

Abe,George

Taiko Community

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

Yamaguchi,Kristi

Support from the Japanese American community

(b.1971) Professional figure skater and Olympic gold medalist.

Uyeda,Clifford

Japanese Language School

(1917 - 2004) Political activist

Uyeda,Clifford

Different races have to live together and interact

(1917 - 2004) Political activist

Fukumoto,Kay

The multicultural perspective

(b.1960) Third-generation taiko drummer, leader of Maui Taiko

Suto,Henry

Japanese in Minot

(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.

Konishi,Toshiro

Integrating As First-Generation Japanese-Peruvian (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

Sakane,Hiroshi

The Nikkei community that didn't support Former President Fujimori's election (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum