Interviews
On being Japanese and American
I speak Japanese and I go to Japan a lot so I kind of identify both as Japanese and then American and I’m still trying to figure out this, what it is to be Japanese American.
I definitely see myself as different, cause my upbringing is different than west coast Japanese Americans, but there’s a commonality in that, like the history really affects me, probably in a very similar way.
I never felt…either I masked it very well, in that whatever prejudices were around me, but I had friends and I…since I played music, music is a very kind of colorblind art form I think. So…a lot of art is.
Date: August 21, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Sharon Yamato
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
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.
Taiko philosophy (Japanese)
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Growing up in Waikiki
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Introducing Taiko in Vancouver
(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.
The philosophy of playing Taiko
(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.
Learning Japanese traditions by observing his mother and grandmother
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Nihongo gakko - Preserving Japanese culture (Spanish)
(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.
Not wanting to stand out as a foreigner
Sansei Japanese American living in Japan and Kendo practioner
Have compassion for all of humanity
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Identity crisis (Spanish)
(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.
Never sang Enka outside the family
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Both Japanese and American identities though Japanese dance
(1918-2023) Nisei Japanese kabuki dancer