And thankfully in Colombia, Japanese people have a good reputation. So, it worked into our advantage, I guess. We're better respected just because of the background, I guess. And because the community is relatively small, and mostly have behaved well, right? Because it's also comes with the territory that to uphold that name, you still have to behave properly.
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Interviewee Bio
Monica Teisher was born in Cali, Colombia in 1974 to an Issei father and Nisei mother. She and her large extended family were active in the Cali Japanese community, the largest in Colombia. She moved to the United States after marrying a U.S. citizen of Eastern European Jewish descent. They and their daughters spend vacation time in Colombia, participating in community events. (May 2020)