Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1054/

Japanese immigration with an Okinawan face (Spanish)

(Spanish) Japanese immigration to Peru was symbolically Japanese, but humanly Okinawan. Meaning, the Japanese symbolism of the emperor came from the Meiji State, from the state of Showa… the cults and the image of Japan as an exotic country… the reverence, the silence, a biotype. But in the daily life of human beings, the Okinawan arrived. What arrived to Peru wasn’t Japanese but Okinawa in everyday life. And that is shown by the number of human beings and by the number of habits that came to Peru. I am convinced that when they voted for Fujimori in the 90’s, they didn’t vote… They voted for the Japanese, in a symbolic way of speaking. However, humanly speaking, they voted for an Okinawan. The Okinawan is the good-natured person, the friend. The Okinawan was the woman that worked at the shops. Men too, gave credits, guaranteed, loans. Why? Because as a culture, the Okinawan are very, very expressive people: very expressive. So expressive, that they can’t handle them and they end up fighting with the other person because they can’t hide their emotions. They don’t have that handle of silence that the Japanese culture has. Okinawan people are very funny. They cry, shout, dance… everything ends in a dance, in friendships. And that is not Japanese, no way. Even here to make business between Japanese in the Japanese community is different to do businesses with a Japanese descendant than an Okinawan descendant.


immigration Okinawans Peru

Date: February 26, 2008

Location: Lima, Peru

Interviewer: Harumi Nako

Contributed by: Asociación Peruano Japonesa (APJ)

Interviewee Bio

Doris Moromisato Miasato (1962) was born in Chambala, an agricultural zone of Lima, Peru. She graduated with a degree in Law and Political Science at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

She has published the collection of poems Morada donde la luna perdió su palidez [Home were the moon lost its paleness] (1988), Chambala era un camino [Chambala was the path] (1999), Diario de la mujer es ponja [Diary of a Jap woman] (2004), Paisaje Terrestre [Terrestrial Path] (2007), as well as the story book Okinawa, un siglo en el Perú [Okinawa. A century in Peru] (2006). Her poems, stories, essays, and features have also been included in several anthologies and have been translated into several languages.

She is an ecologist, feminist and Buddhist. In 2006, the Okinawa Municipality nominated her as an Ambassador of Good Will. Nowadays, she is columnist for the Discover Nikkei Website, and since 2005 she has managed the organization of book fairs as Cultural Director of Cámara Peruana del Libro. (February 26, 2008)

Hirose,Roberto

From the "middle" Nikkei (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

Hirose,Roberto

The various realities of Nikkei in Latin America (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

Akama,Michie

Reasons for immigrating to Brazil (Japanese)

Issei, Pioneer of women's education in Brazil

Hattori,Paula Hoyos

The arrival of her grandpa (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

Hokama,Ryoko

Initial struggles with the language barrier (Japanese)

(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean

Takagi,Kazuomi

Decided to leave Japan to Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

Takagi,Kazuomi

Tango makes him to stay in Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

Takagi,Kazuomi

Leaving to Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

Yamada,Luis

Decision to settle in Argentina after WWII (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

Yamada,Luis

Returning Argentina after the war (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

Yamada,Luis

A lucky man (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

Nishimura,Shunji

Going to Brazil to escape debt (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

Kasamatsu,Emi

Treatment of Japanese Paraguayans during World War II (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

Kasamatsu,Emi

Inclusiveness of the first Japanese colony in Paraguay (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher

Kasamatsu,Emi

Nikkei contributions to Paraguayan agriculture (Spanish)

Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher