Interviews

1. Experiencing discrimination as a child

2. Feeling empowered by taiko

3. Taiko as self-expression

4. Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko

5. Learning from and appreciating the Nisei experience

6. Diverse membership in San Jose Taiko

7. Bringing Japanese American taiko to Japan

8. A “principally-based” taiko group in England creating a global taiko community

Hirabayashi,PJ

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

Experiencing discrimination as a child

It was Easter, and I had another friend in school that I wanted her to come to Easter service. So she said, “Okay. That’d be fine.” So my mother drove me to her house to pick her up for Easter. And I had a nice Easter dress on and went over to her house, knocked on the door. And she opened to the door, and she was still in her play clothes. And she looked very sad. “Aren’t you coming to church with me?” And she said, “I can’t. My mother won’t let me.” And I said, “What?” And she started to cry and said, “I’m so sorry. My mother’s crazy. She thinks that I might end up marrying Japanese just like you.” Sixth grade—how am I supposed to digest all that information? And all of sudden, she said, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t go.” And then the door closed. I had to collect my wits. And going “Oh gosh. I got to go back to the car.” And mom’s gonna ask me, well, where’s Janice? “She’s sick.” That’s all I said. Went to church and just kind of denied that whole incident.

discrimination interpersonal relations racism

Date: January 26, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

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

Interviewee Bio

Patti Jo “PJ” Hirabayashi is among the most prominent women taiko players in the United States. Born and raised in Northern California, she attended Cal State Hayward where she became involved in Asian American movement activities before transferring to UC Berkeley. After graduation, she spent a year living in Japan before returning to San Jose where she was a graduate student in Urban and Regional Planning at San Jose State University. While there, she became acting director of the school’s Asian American Studies Center. She wrote her master’s thesis about the future of San Jose’s Japantown.

Hirabayashi joined San Jose Taiko in January 1974 as a charter member of the group. She is now the creative director of the ensemble, and she draws inspiration from the Asian American civil rights movement. She performs, trains, teaches, develops repertoire, tours, holds public workshops and conducts school outreach programs.(January 26, 2005)