Interviews
Immigration ship Brazil-maru (Japanese)
(Japanese) Well, yes. We the youngsters gathered and partied, which made the captain mad. And those who were going to emigrate, the ones from Okinawa, they were learning Portuguese and were accompanied by government officials. They looked quite different from us, you know. I had fun with festivals like a line-crossing ceremony.
We arrived at Long Beach. Well, we went to Hawaii first, went through the immigration process in Hawaii and then arrived at Long Beach. Since it was the second time for me, I took the role of getting everyone together. That was back in 1970 or 1971. I gathered up the young ones on the ship and made a group called Senyu-kai (gathering of friends on a ship). Of them, I think that about three have remained now in America. The rest have all returned to Japan. These people, they all worked very hard in their youth, doing many kinds of things like finding apartments or jobs for others.
Date: August 4, 2015
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Mitsue Watanabe
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Family interrelations between mother and father
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Going back to Hawaii
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Picture brides and karifufu
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Grandmother's influence on decision to go to Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Impression of Japan upon arrival
(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.
Kibei schoolchildren in Hiroshima, Japan
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
The reason he came to the United States (Japanese)
(1949 - 2019) Taiko player. Founded five taiko groups in Southern California
Grandfather's arrival in the U.S., experiencing discrimination
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Mother's immigration to U.S. as a treaty merchant
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Why her parents came to Canada
(1918-2004) Interned in Slocan during World War II. Active member of the Japanese Canadian community.
Family background of Fredrick Yoshihide Sasaki
(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada
Chose to go back to Japan
(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community
