Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/995/

The multicultural perspective

I think it’s more of a personal perspective because depending on where you are—maybe generationally. Here I am a fourth generation Japanese American on my father’s side. But, my mother having come from Japan, I’m sort of first generation from her side. So, I think whenever I compare myself to my peers and my friends, I’m very into Japanese culture, I think, because of my closer tie to Japan. And we still have relatives in Japan through my mother’s side. So, for me, community can be my Japanese American community. But I think in most contexts, it’s the multicultural community. Here, it’s so multicultural. I don’t think we’re as segregated in thinking because it’s multicultural. There’s a lot of marriages between the different nationalities and ethnic groups. So, we’re all blending.


communities families Hawaii identity United States

Date: July 9, 2004

Location: Hawaii, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

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

Interviewee Bio

Kay Fukumoto, of Maui Taiko, continues a multi-generational family tradition of playing taiko at local, annual Obon festivals that began with her grandfather and great-grandfather and now includes her husband and son. Though the Maui Taiko group was formed officially in 1996, it has been operating informally on Maui, Hawaii for over 100 years.

In 1970, at the age of ten, Kay was the first girl to be allowed to play the taiko at an Obon festival on the island of Maui. She now leads Maui Taiko, which plays at 16 different temples during the Obon festival season. In 2001, she coordinated a trip for the group to perform taiko in Fukushima and Hiroshima, Japan. (July 9, 2004)

Herb Ohta
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Ohta,Herb

Performing in Japan

(b. 1934) Ukulele player from Hawaii

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Hachiro Ohtomo
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Ohtomo,Hachiro

Facing discrimination in America (Japanese)

(b. 1936) Shin-issei welding business owner

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Jean Hamako Schneider
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Schneider,Jean Hamako

On international marriages (Japanese)

(b. 1925) War bride

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Jean Hamako Schneider
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Schneider,Jean Hamako

Masao-san (Japanese)

(b. 1925) War bride

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Jean Hamako Schneider
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Schneider,Jean Hamako

Conflicted about immigrating to America (Japanese)

(b. 1925) War bride

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George Takei
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Takei,George

Father's Influence

(b. 1937) Actor, Activist

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George Takei
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Takei,George

George's Mother & Brad

(b. 1937) Actor, Activist

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Tamio Wakayama
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Wakayama,Tamio

Defining "Nikkei"

(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist

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Willie Ito
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Ito,Willie

Parents

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

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Paulo Issamu Hirano
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Hirano,Paulo Issamu

The difference between Nikkei community in Oizumi and Brazil (Japanese)

(b. 1979) Sansei Nikkei Brazilian who lives in Oizumi-machi in Gunma prefecture. He runs his own design studio.

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Hachiro Ohtomo
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Ohtomo,Hachiro

My daughter couldn’t fit in Japan, so I decided to go back to America (Japanese)

(b. 1936) Shin-issei welding business owner

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Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
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Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Unique Identity from Having Multiple Backgrounds

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

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Robert T. Fujioka
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Fujioka,Robert T.

Grandfather picked up by US Army

(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii

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Robert T. Fujioka
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Fujioka,Robert T.

Growing up Japanese in Hawaii

(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Okinawan Americans

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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