Nikkei Chronicles #10—Nikkei Generations: Connecting Families & Communities
The theme of the 10th edition of Nikkei Chronicles—Nikkei Generations: Connecting Families & Communities—takes a look at intergenerational relationships in Nikkei communities around the world, with a particular focus on the emerging younger generations of Nikkei and how they connect (or don’t) with their roots and with older generations.
Discover Nikkei solicited stories related to Nikkei Generations from May to September 2021. Voting closed on November 8, 2021. We received 31 stories (21 English; 2 Japanese; 3 Spanish; and 7 Portuguese) from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, and the US, with a few submitted in multiple languages.
An editorial committee chose a favorite story in each language. In addition, a Nima-kai favorite was determined by online community voting. Here are the selections! (*Translations of the selected stories are currently in progress.)
Editorial Committee’s Favorites
- ENGLISH:
Oh, Bachan, How Your Garden Grows
By Kyra Karatsu - JAPANESE:
Happy to Be of Help—My Japanese-learning Classes
By Kazue Ishii - SPANISH:
An Unfortunate Break
By José Yoshida Sherikawa - PORTUGUESE:
Ojiichans
By Ana Shitara
Nima-kai Favorite:
- 43 Stars
The Spirit of Giving
By Troy Miyazato
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*Logo design by Jay Horinouchi
Stories from this series
Happy To Be of Help—My Japanese-learning Classes
Aug. 20, 2021 • Kazue Ishii
It was more than 30 years ago when I, as a Japanese Brazilian Nisei, started developing a desire to be of help to my peers in the same generation. “It will be our 25th wedding anniversary next year.” In 1990, I was having this conversation with my husband (Isamu). During our marriage, we raised four kids and I did all the work of a housewife and helped my husband with his job, too. We took the time off out of …
The sociocultural impacts of Japanese immigration in Peru
July 19, 2021 • Ana Claudia Higashi Suárez
How has Japanese immigration influenced Peruvian society? The hypothesis of this research is that Japanese immigration to Peru has had a sociocultural influence through contributions, customs and habits that remain in our daily lives to this day. 1. SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF JAPANESE IMMIGRATION Discrimination against Japanese descendants Discrimination against Japanese descendants has occurred since the time of Japanese Immigration to Peru until the present. As the Japanese community grew, Peruvians began to see the Japanese as a threat. A feeling …
The Spirit of Giving
July 16, 2021 • Troy Miyazato
Looking through my bedroom window, I see an installer meticulously placing new, dark tiles along the pool waterline in my family’s backyard. Over the next few days, I check on the status of our pool, anxiously waiting to see the outcome of the renovation. When it was finally completed, I realized that up close, the tiles looked stunningly beautiful, with the blues and browns of the design creating a chaotic ensemble of wonderfulness. When the tiles mold together, they form …
Kiyoko Sugimoto and Sakura Yoshida Explore Mixed-Race Identity in New Podcast
July 1, 2021 • Kelly Fleck
VANCOUVER — Kiyoko Sugimoto and Sakura Yoshida take a deep dive into what it means to be a mixed-race Japanese Canadian millennial in their podcast, The Hafu It. In the weekly, independently-produced, and unscripted podcast, the two women explore topics that range from the Japanese Canadian experience to current affairs and pop culture through humour and personal anecdotes. The podcast, which launched in December, recently wrapped up its first season at the end of May. The season ended with a …
Keiro Superstar: Yosh Arima
June 22, 2021 • Keiro
At 91 years old, Yosh Arima has lived a full life of teaching, traveling, playing sports, and surrounding himself with people he enjoys. After being incarcerated at Santa Anita horse stables—with transfers to Rohwer and then Tule Lake with his family during World War II—Yosh moved to California, then New Jersey, and back to California. He jumped around to different high schools during that time, but eventually graduated from Belmont High School in Los Angeles. He went to LA City …
Oh, Bachan, How Your Garden Grows
May 30, 2021 • Kyra Karatsu
The longer my father and I navigate the Inglewood Cemetery, the more comical it becomes. “Turn here, no turn there, oh there it is!” No matter how many times we visit, that same frazzled exchange is always held. But, when we finally get to the top of the hill, the view makes our antics worthwhile. It’s almost ironic to see the world from this height, buzzing with wondrous life while the departed rest peacefully above. At this altitude, it is …