Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/607/

Being multicultural before it was “in”

In that way, I think we were very Japanese. We were brought up with no religion. My parents, my mom was actually pretty adamant about it and said, “Take a look around…” And I learned from her that religion, it’s a learned thing. It’s not something that’s born inside of you. She instilled a sense of morality in me, but she didn’t push any one religion on me. I guess growing up back east, especially since the area was fairly conservative, I had some of that influence from my friends. But at the same time, it’s pretty varied. When I was in junior high school, I was in a band, and there was myself, a Jewish guy who played the keyboard, there was a Roman Catholic guy who played the guitar, a Black Baptist drummer and there’s a Hawaiian bassist. So we were the multicultural crew before multicultural was in. One weekend, we would play in a synagogue and the next we’d play at a church, and the next week, a Baptist church.


Finding Home (film) multiculturalism racially mixed people religion

Date: September 12, 2003

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Interviewer: Art Nomura

Contributed by: Art Nomura, Finding Home.

Interviewee Bio

Vince Ota, (Sansei on his mother’s side, Yonsei on his father’s), was born in New Hampshire. From there, he and his family lived in several cities throughout the United States and also lived in London before finally settling in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Growing up in a small town in Maryland, Vince did not have much contact with other Asian Americans, except during the summers he spent in Los Angeles with relatives. He describes his upbringing as “pretty White American.” Vince eventually moved to southern California where he attended community college and the California Institute of the Arts. He worked as a creative designer and lived in Los Angeles for seven years until moving to Japan. Vince has lived in Japan since 1996 and plans to stay. At the time of the interview, he was working as a creative designer. (September 12, 2003)

Inoue,Enson

Disadvantages of looking Japanese

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

Fulbeck,Kip

Defusing myths through The Hapa Project

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

Fulbeck,Kip

International dimensions of hapa identity

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

Shinoda,Mike

Contemplating identity in Los Angeles

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Kodani,Mas

A wrong ethnic assumption

Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.

Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Mixed blood people at camp from a child's point of view

(b. 1934) Writer

Kobayashi,Bert A.

Being accepted as biracial family

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

Kobayashi,Bert A.

To be “100 % Japanese”

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

Hattori,Paula Hoyos

The importance of learning cultural diversity (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

Hattori,Paula Hoyos

To think in one language and live in another (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

Mizuki,Peter

Appreciation of Japanese food

Sansei Japanese American living in Japan and Kendo practioner

Shimo,Cedrick

Common Grounds

(1919-2020) Member of the 1800th Engineering Battalion. Promoted Japan-U.S. trade while working for Honda's export division.