Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1497/

Four sisters had international marriages (Japanese)

(Japanese) Two older sisters, a younger sister and I - 4 of us ended up living in America.

The eldest sister got married. And, how can I say it? Back then there weren’t too many international marriages. So my mother used to be in tears. As I saw her cry, I never imagined I would come to America myself, too. But for some reason, it was some kind of luck. We didn’t all come together. Each one of us met someone individually. Two of them married white men, and two black men. It’s a little unusual, I think. One lives in Wisconsin, another in New York, and the two of us in California.

My parents were never prejudiced. So all of us children were very friendly and had many friends. Half of us were born in Yokohama, which may be the reason, but we didn’t have any prejudice since our childhood. So I’m proud that my parents were not prejudiced.


brides marriages migration war brides wives

Date: February 6, 2015

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Izumi Tanaka

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

Interviewee Bio

Terumi Hisamatsu Calloway was born in 1937 in Yokohama as the 5th of 10 children and grew up in the suburb of Tokyo during the war. She met her husband, Edward E. Calloway, who was a civilian engineer working at American military base in Tokyo and married him. In 1960, after having 2 children, Terumi moved to the U.S. with her family and settled in the Bay Area and had two more children. Later they moved to the Lompoc area where all of her 4 children - 2 girls and 2 boys - grew up. In 1977, they moved to Inglewood where she resides now. Terumi was widowed in 2009, and she currently works as a caregiver. (April 2016)

Takagi,Kazuomi

Tango makes him to stay in Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

Takagi,Kazuomi

Leaving to Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

Nishimura,Shunji

Going to Brazil to escape debt (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

Nishimura,Shunji

Early life in Brazil (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

Kasamatsu,Emi

Treatment of Japanese Paraguayans during World War II (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

Kasamatsu,Emi

Inclusiveness of the first Japanese colony in Paraguay (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

Kasamatsu,Emi

Nikkei contributions to Paraguayan agriculture (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

Matsubara,Yumi

Leaving for the States without telling my parents (Japanese)

Shin-Issei from Gifu. Recently received U.S. citizenship

Shimizu,Henry

Grandmother convinced his mother to return to Canada

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shimizu,Henry

Government urged Japanese Canadians to go to Japan

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shinki,Venancio

We go to America (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

Mizuki,Peter

Not wanting to stand out as a foreigner

Sansei Japanese American living in Japan and Kendo practioner

Kodama,Ryoichi

Moving to Brazil wanting to see the world (Japanese)

Kasato-maru immigrants

Kodama,Ryoichi

In the boat on the way to Brazil (Japanese)

Kasato-maru immigrants

Kodama,Ryoichi

Experiences in the farmlands (Japanese)

Kasato-maru immigrants