Interviews
On music
[Playing violin]
I’ve been playing violin since I was seven maybe? But I never…I never thought it could be a profession.
I was pretty heavy into classical music in high school, as well as metal, which is what everybody my age was into. After that I went to jazz improvisation and so I really got heavy into improvisation which is a very social art form.
My parents encouraged, I went to engineering school first and I flunked out, but they knew how much I loved music, so they let me go…
I think I use it as a shield to hide behind. Because if I didn’t have my music I feel like I’d be kind of worthless. That might be a part of, maybe my minority identity…that’s hiding behind my skillset.
Date: August 21, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Sharon Yamato
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
On Challenging Institutions
(1938-2020) Japanese American attorney and civil rights activist
Pop and Balls
(1938-2020) Japanese American attorney and civil rights activist
Re-examining Identity
(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist
How he got on the All-Navy show on Ed Sullivan
(b. 1934) Ukulele player from Hawaii
Conflicted about immigrating to America (Japanese)
(b. 1925) War bride
Defining "Nikkei"
(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist
Unique Identity from Having Multiple Backgrounds
(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.
Growing up Japanese in Hawaii
(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii
Parents identification as Peruvian Okinawan
Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.
Okinawan cultural appreciation
Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.
Prejudice against Okinawans from mainland folks
Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.