Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1404/

Luckiest Issei

My father is just like one of the Issei, work hard, and be honest. And everything keep clean. And obey to order. So I think Mr. Cotton liked my father's working habits...? Not habits... ethics. So once my father felt Mr. Cotton's kindness, he believed him like a god, I guess. And also, Mrs. Cotton teaching him everything, high society's manners. So my father, when I was a kid, my father was very strict about table manners, how to eat with a fork and knife, how to drink soup, how to eat and cut meat.

After you guys growing up, and maybe they want back to USA or foreign student to America. That time, I don't want you guys to get poor feeling from the white student, so you should know the manners, etiquette. That was my teacher's, what my father taught us. That was all learned from Mrs. Cotton. So overall, my father was really luckiest Issei, I guess.


aesthetics education ethics generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan metaphysics migration psychology theory of knowledge values

Date: January 31, 2012

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki, Yoko Nishimura

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

Interviewee Bio

Edward Toru Horikiri (b. 1929), Kibei Nisei, was born in Little Tokyo, but moved with his family back to Japan when he was 18 months old. He was raised and educated in Japan during World War II, but decided to return to the U.S. in 1952 in order to re-establish the family business that was disrupted by the War. However, lacking sufficient English language skills, he did a variety of jobs including gardener, houseboy, truck driver, and grocery and supermarket employee. He continued to be involved in cultural activities through Japanese language community organizations and friendships with artists such as Taro Yashima. (June 2014)

Kazuomi Takagi
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Takagi,Kazuomi

Learning Spanish (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Shunji Nishimura
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Nishimura,Shunji

Delivering know-how to the next generation (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

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Masao Kinoshita
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Kinoshita,Masao

Life as a student in São Paulo (Japanese)

A central figure for the “Makegumi” (defeatists)

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Venancio Shinki
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Shinki,Venancio

Prejudice in Japanese school (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

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Venancio Shinki
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Shinki,Venancio

Closing the Japanese school and deportation (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

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Hideto Futatsugui
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Futatsugui,Hideto

The Portuguese exam (Japanese)

(b.1911) Issei educator 

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Hideto Futatsugui
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Futatsugui,Hideto

Japanese education in Brazil (Japanese)

(b.1911) Issei educator 

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Johnnie Morton
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Morton,Johnnie

Attending Japanese school

(b.1971) Professional football player.

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Peter Irons
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Irons,Peter

Learning About the Internment

(b. 1940) Attorney, Coram nobis cases.

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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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Daniel K. Inouye
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Inouye,Daniel K.

First election

(1924-2012) Senator of Hawaii

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Sakaye Shigekawa
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Shigekawa, Sakaye

Parents were willing to send her to medical school

(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California

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Sakaye Shigekawa
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Shigekawa, Sakaye

Getting good guidance

(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California

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Henry Suto
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Suto,Henry

School life in Japan (Japanese)

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

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