Entrevistas

1. General reasons why people left Japan for Peru

2. Great grandfather Asato was a sumo wrestler

3. Grandfather loved to tell her stories of her great-grandfather Arakaki

4. Prosecution of Japanese Peruvians during the war

5. Where parents went to school in Peru

6. Parents leaving Peru to move to California

7. Reflections on childhood

8. Okinawan cultural appreciation

9. Prejudice against Okinawans from mainland folks

10. Okinawan Americans

11. Parents identification as Peruvian Okinawan

12. On Nikkei identity

13. Japanese values that she aligns with

14. American values she aligns with

15. Working together in Okinawa using three languages

Yamashiro,Michelle

Okinawense estadounidense cuyos padres son de Perú.

Prejudice against Okinawans from mainland folks

I even heard it when I went to Okinawa, that it was still kind of there. There’s still this…just difference because you’re from Okinawa or… There’s a lot of stereotypes too that Okinawan folks are…they don’t come on time, always come later. That’s a funny one. Or that they’re kind of like just running on their own time and a little bit more chill and relaxed. Like island folks, small island folks. One thing that did stick out was in Peru, a lot of immigrants from Japan in general, and so some people would hide the fact that they’re Okinawan to try to marry someone or to try to fit in with this…Japan mainland folks. And I thought that was so funny, one thing that I remember was, even folks with the last name Kanashiro or Arakaki – which are very Okinawan – would try to be like “no, no, no I’m mainland,” “I’m a mainland person.” So that’s one thing that my parents did share with me. It’s like trying to deny that as much as possible.

identidad okinawenses Perú prejuicios estereotipos

Fecha: August 30, 2018

Zona: California, US

Entrevista: Sharon Yamato

País: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Entrevista

Creció en Gardena, California. Sus padres se mudaron a los Estados Unidos desde Lima, Perú, donde crecieron en la comunidad peruana japonesa y okinawense. Gracias a este ambiente diverso, estuvo expuesta a una mezcla de diferentes tradiciones culturales. Ella está involucrada con la Asociación de América de Okinawa y ha visitado Okinawa y Perú.

Recibió sus credenciales de enseñanza, pero cuando recibió una oportunidad en el Instituto Cultural Japonés del Valle de Gardena (ICJVG), decidió hacer trabajos sin ánimo de lucro y ahora es voluntaria en ICJVG y la Asociación de Okinawa de América. (Agosto 2018)