Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1758/

Immersed in Japanese culture and language

My older brothers and sister, they also liked the culture. They would buy magazines, records, they would enjoy listening, and at the same time, I would look at the magazine and enjoy listening to music. They were showing Japanese movie two different places in San Francisco, and I'd go every Friday and Saturday. One Friday I'll go this theater, Saturday I'm going to go to the other theater. It was very much Japanese-y, more than being American. Because my father and mother at home would speak Japanese. My father said, "You have a Japanese face? You learn to speak Japanese." Still up here in my mind.

 


culture languages movies

Date: September 20, 2019

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Tom Ikeda and Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum and Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Jimmy Naganuma was born in Callao, Peru to his Issei parents in 1936. He was eight years old when his family were forced to board a ship, to be incarcerated at Crystal City, Texas, during World War II. They remained there even after the war had ended, without a place to go. They were able to leave via a sponsorship by a reverend in San Francisco, California, where they were able to find jobs and housing.  (June 2020)

Kazuomi Takagi
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Takagi,Kazuomi

Learning Spanish (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Akira Watanabe
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Watanabe,Akira

Origins of the Matsuri Daiko Group in Peru (Spanish)

(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru

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Akira Watanabe
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Watanabe,Akira

Yes, Nikkei culture exists (Spanish)

(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru

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George Yoshida
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Yoshida,George

Ways of Fitting In

(b. 1922) Musician

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Clifford Uyeda
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Uyeda,Clifford

Japanese Language School

(1917 - 2004) Political activist

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Henry Suto
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Suto,Henry

Working tirelessly after the war (Japanese)

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

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Miyoko Amano
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Amano,Miyoko

A Lifestyle Using Both Japanese and Spanish (Japanese)

(b. 1929) President of Amano Museum

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Jero  (Jerome Charles White Jr.)
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(Jerome Charles White Jr.),Jero

Hopes everyone pursues their dreams regardless of race or heritage

(b. 1981) Enka Singer

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Tamio Wakayama
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Wakayama,Tamio

Re-examining Identity

(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist

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Francesca Yukari Biller
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Biller,Francesca Yukari

Culture is an important part of one's identity

Jewish Japanese American journalist

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Jimmy Murakami
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Murakami,Jimmy

Teaching English in Japan

(1933 – 2014) Japanese American animator

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Toshiaki Toyoshima
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Toyoshima,Toshiaki

Difficulty of spreading authentic sushi (Japanese)

(b. 1949) Sushi chef. Owner of Sushi Gen restaurant in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo.

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Toshiaki Toyoshima
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Toyoshima,Toshiaki

Teaching how to eat sushi (Japanese)

(b. 1949) Sushi chef. Owner of Sushi Gen restaurant in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Parents identification as Peruvian Okinawan

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Okinawan cultural appreciation

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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