Interviews
Youth and Gidra
You know, we had a high school program too. Umm the Neighborhood Youth Corp. It was like a national program where the government was paying high school kids to work in community organizations. So we got some NYC kids, and they helped work on Gidra and then they also spread the word out to their friends.
And coincidentally at that time, I think it was the early 70’s, there was a drug epidemic in our community. And because of that, a lot of people, a lot of the community groups that were forming were aimed at working with young people, to try to prevent it. And you know a lot of people realized that it was related to a confusion and lack of identity, a sense of clear identity. And feeling ashamed of you know, who you were people used to talk about well my parents are immigrants and they never hug me.
Well, that’s because people don’t do that but, on TV you see the Brady Bunch and you know, people hugging so those kind of things, you know, were never explained to kids. So we, there was a lot of work done with young people. And I think that started being reflected in the newspaper too.
Date: September 28, 2011
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Kris Kuromitsu, John Esaki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Japanese influence growing up
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Diverse membership in San Jose Taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Looking at your country from the outside
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Wife's family in Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Lack of notion of citizenship in Japan
(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.
Lack of language skills
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Preserving traditional Japanese culture
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Having patience in Japan, being both
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Being on the outside
(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.
His parents' experience with Japanese resistance toward intermarriage with Okinawans
(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.
Working in cane fields as teenager, and how it helped in his athletic training (Japanese)
(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.
Nickname
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
Mixed emotions after declaration of war on Japan
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.