Interviews

1. Being Nikkei: A Double Responsibility (Spanish)

2. The Power of Language: Japanese Identity Constructed in Santa Cruz, Bolivia (Spanish)

3. The Image of Japan: Expectations versus Reality (Spanish)

4. The Impact of Technology in Japan (Spanish)

5. A Possible Path towards Happiness… (Spanish)

Ashimine Oshiro,Masakatsu Jaime

(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan

The Power of Language: Japanese Identity Constructed in Santa Cruz, Bolivia (Spanish)

(Spanish) My parents moved to the city. At that point I lost contact with... with the Japanese Community because it was pretty far. It was one hundred kilometers away, and in those times there were no roads, so we lost contact, a bit, with the Japanese Community. But that also made it possible for a Japanese community to form in the city, in Santa Cruz, and my parents saw the need for a Japanese school. So I was one of the first students at that school. Um, as you were saying, the fact that I am able to communicate in my mothers tongue... Because for me it is my mothers tongue, since I only spoke Japanese until I was five or six years old, afterwards I learned Spanish. So, it’s easier for me to communicate my feelings in Japanese. It is also easier for me to understand the feelings of the people with whom I talk, and I believe the person I’m talking to feels this, which makes this type of job much easier. But, for that same reason, there are some disadvantages, because the situation ceases to be protocol. We enter into the realm of feelings, so, things become a bit more complex. But on the positive side, it helps a lot to speak Japanese, and especially, it helps to be Nikkei, because they consider you part of the family.

identity languages

Date: March 24, 2009

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Interviewer: Alberto Matsumoto

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

Interviewee Bio

Born January 11th, 1958 in Santa Cruz city, Bolivia. Graduated from Universidad Técnica de Oruro, Facultad Nacional de Ingeniería (Oruro Technical University, Public School of Engineering) in 1987. From 1989 to 1999, he worked at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). At around the same time, he also acted as supervisor of Santa Cruz city’s Servicio Geológico de Bolivia (GeoBol - Geological Service of Bolivia). From 1989 to 2000, he was the administration manager at food company, IMBA. Later, from 1998 to 2000, he was the chairman of Ashimine Motors, and from 2000 to 2006, he was the regional manager of Santa Cruz at Christian Auto Motors (Toyota Representative). In March 2007, he was named Resident Japanese Ambassador Extraordinaire by the Evo Morales administration, and moved to Japan in April. After fulfilling his duties, he returned in March 2009.

He passed away on June 2014 at age 56. (December 2014)