Interviews
The Nikkei community that didn't support Former President Fujimori's election (Japanese)
(Japanese) President Fujimori... Well, when Mr. Fujimori announced his candidacy for president, I think it’s safe to say that all the Nikkei, well, most of them anyway, were not supporting him. The reason was the violence and looting against the Japanese before the war. Ever since, we haven’t been able to get over being plundered like that. It was such a big thing, the kind of trouble that incident caused. So, if Mr. Fujimori could not carry out the duties of president in a respectable way, then all the criticism would likely fall on the Nikkei. And if that happened, the Japanese would likely fall prey to looting again like they did before the war. As for the Nikkei, everyone was afraid that that would happen. And so, cautious like a bunch of politicians, the Nikkei preferred not to engage in terribly flashy or high-risk prospects, or so it was commonly thought at the time. But, of all things, they ended up announcing his candidacy for the president of the country, and for goodness sakes, managed to get him elected.
I heard that the Nikkei had been asking President Fujimori not to run for president although I’m not sure if that’s true or not. Still, rumors of that kind were floating around. The Nikkei were concerned or at least scared of Mr. Fujimori becoming president. In short, when he won the election, the community’s reaction was probably fear rather than joy.
Date: May 7, 2007
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Yoko Nishimura
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Peru Shimpo for the Nikkei community (Spanish)
(b. 1937) Professional journalist
Japanese community in Mission
(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952
Taiko as self-expression
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
A “principally-based” taiko group in England creating a global taiko community
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Lack of political power led to camps
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Redress payments to Issei who did not enter camps
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
State Department records show concern for treatment of Japanese American internees
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Lack of support from fellow Nikkei lawyers during the war
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Political motivation to keep the camps open until end of 1944 election
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
The Kona Island community
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
The importance of Japanese American role models in childhood community
(b. 1955) Lawyer
Recognizing issues of dual identity in the nisei generation
(b. 1955) Lawyer
Heightened awareness of identity as a Japanese American
(b. 1955) Lawyer