Interviews
The multicultural perspective
I think it’s more of a personal perspective because depending on where you are—maybe generationally. Here I am a fourth generation Japanese American on my father’s side. But, my mother having come from Japan, I’m sort of first generation from her side. So, I think whenever I compare myself to my peers and my friends, I’m very into Japanese culture, I think, because of my closer tie to Japan. And we still have relatives in Japan through my mother’s side. So, for me, community can be my Japanese American community. But I think in most contexts, it’s the multicultural community. Here, it’s so multicultural. I don’t think we’re as segregated in thinking because it’s multicultural. There’s a lot of marriages between the different nationalities and ethnic groups. So, we’re all blending.
Date: July 9, 2004
Location: Hawaii, US
Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Testing assumptions of Japanese scholars
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
1920 labor strike
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Surviving after father's death
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Washing for Filipino bachelors
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Helping soldiers
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Feeling empowered by taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Image of Americans
Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.
Japanese influence growing up
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Diverse membership in San Jose Taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko