Interviews
Center for Japanese American Studies in community
The reason I got involved was we had this Center for Japanese American Studies that we created in the community, because we knew that in Ethnic Studies, we couldn’t do everything we wanted to do because we’re tied into the system, where education comes in 3 unit modules 3 times a week in terms of a certain framework.
So we started, when Nancy and I were with this together, Center for Japanese American Studies in the community. We rented, or leased, buildings and a church. And we started Japanese language classes, conversational classes, ESL classes for the Issei who wanted to learn English. And then we had monthly forum, and we did what we thought needed to be done to understand Japanese American life. And we didn’t have to pass it through any bureaucracy. And we were thinking of putting in for grants and everything like that, and that’s why we had titled Center for Japanese American Studies. But we decided we’re just going to take membership fees and do everything by our own hook.
Date: January 7, 2004
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Art Hansen
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.
Explore More Videos
Teacher who helped with lisp
(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i
Kids working hard
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
First day of school
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Grandmother's influence on decision to go to Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Training for football by carrying 100-lb bags of grass over mountains
(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.
Teaching at the military language school during World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Lesson learned from community college faculty
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Rewards of teaching
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Japanese school
(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community
Strict school policy of separating boys and girls in Japan
(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto
Growing up outside of Portland’s Japanese community
(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores
Japanese musical education
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Education in a Buddhist temple and a country school
(1914-2018) Founder of the largest gladiolus bulb farm in the United States.
Father’s will to have Japanese education
(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952
