Interviews
Integrating As First-Generation Japanese-Peruvian (Japanese)
(Japanese) Well, this is extremely…From my perspective as a Japanese person, this is extremely difficult. I’m a so-called first-generation (Issei) Japanese-Peruvian. In other words, I’m living here now. However, the position of an Issei is very…it’s not very clear. It’s not the Japanese flag, and it’s not the Peruvian flag.
But the Japanese-Peruvian community here is an interesting one. Truth be told, we’re really Japanese. People like me. So among the Japanese-Peruvians here, there are people who are actually not Japanese-Peruvian.
Particularly in the Japanese-Peruvian media, when second- or third-generation Japanese-Peruvians are working hard to succeed at something, I think there probably is, of course, support for them, with a sense of “Good luck” or “Well done”. For us first-generation folks, maybe we don’t get as much recognition because perhaps there’s a sense that, of course, we were going to do what we did, and besides, we’re Japanese. So in that way, we first-generation people may find ourselves in kind of a vague, ambiguous position.
Date: April 18, 2007
Location: Lima, Peru
Interviewer: Ann Kaneko
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Nihongo gakko - Preserving Japanese culture (Spanish)
(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.
Not wanting to stand out as a foreigner
Sansei Japanese American living in Japan and Kendo practioner
Have compassion for all of humanity
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Identity crisis (Spanish)
(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.
Never sang Enka outside the family
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Both Japanese and American identities though Japanese dance
(1918-2023) Nisei Japanese kabuki dancer
Results of being more American than Japanese
(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist
Trying to convey the meaning of the songs
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Internship on a Native American reservation in Arizona
(b.1952) Master drummer, artistic director of the Taiko Center of the Pacific
Different tension between East Coast and Los Angeles
Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan
The Kona Island community
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Differences between American and Japanese taiko
(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.
Meeting Japanese Americans from the mainland in MIS
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation