Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1765/

Feeling of foreigness

That's the only language I knew is Japanese, then, so it's kind of hard for us to live in the U.S.A. Our friends were all Nisei, they're Japanese Americans. And I was from Peru, so even going to school in San Francisco, I always felt that I was, like, I always felt like a foreigner. I had this thing, I would try to pretend that I was a Japanese American, although I wasn't. But inside, deep inside, I know I was different, and that was with me all through my life whenever... as I was growing up, I pretend like I'm being a Nisei, but I always had an accent, my English was... and I couldn't pronounce the word right. And so I'd try to not talk too much. So a lot of my friends didn't know I was from Peru.

I still do; it's still with me. So I try to, not to show that I'm a foreigner. I'm a citizen of the United States now, and that kind of makes me feel better, but always with me, as a foreigner. Even at school, always at school I had that in my mind.


California foreigners identity Japanese Peruvians noncitizens San Francisco United States

Date: September 20, 2019

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Tom Ikeda and Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum and Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

George Kazuharu Naganuma was born in Lima, Peru to his Issei parents in 1938. His family were forced to board a ship, to be incarcerated at Crystal City, Texas, during World War II. They remained there even after the war had ended, without a place to go. They were able to leave via a sponsorship by a reverend in San Francisco, California, where they were able to find jobs and housing. George joined the Boy Scouts in San Francisco and was able to visit Japan with his troop. He joined the U.S. Army and worked as a clerical typist. (June 2020)

Enson Inoue
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Inoue,Enson

Ring name: "Yamato Damashi"

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

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Jero  (Jerome Charles White Jr.)
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(Jerome Charles White Jr.),Jero

Getting on Kohaku (Japanese)

(b. 1981) Enka Singer

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Enson Inoue
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Inoue,Enson

Citizenship and identity

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Early consciousness of identity

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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William Hohri
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Hohri,William

Importance of self-representation in legislation

(1927-2010) Political Activist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Finding parallels through art

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

The Hapa Project

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Francis Y. Sogi
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Sogi,Francis Y.

Defining the term Nikkei

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Perceptions of uniqueness

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Identity as a conscious ongoing process

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Lessons learned from The Hapa Project

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Japanese Americans are more aware of their Hapa identity

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Discomfort at being labeled by others

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Issues of identity outside of America

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Fulbeck,Kip

Imposing identity upon others

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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