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)

(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan

Being Nikkei: A Double Responsibility (Spanish)

(Spanish) As I was saying... I feel that I have a double responsibility. Firstly, as any Ambassador, representing a whole country is a very big responsibility. And secondly, as you say, the fact that I am Nikkei, the fact that I am a Japanese descendant, is very meaningful because it is the materialization of the dreams of people who immigrated to South America seeking to improve their lives. So partially I feel like this is the culmination of my parent’s dreams, when they travelled to such a distant land. So the return to the motherland in these circumstances indicates that my parents’ efforts have been appreciated in that distant land, South America.

ambassadors Bolivia identity

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)

Explore More Videos

Interviewee

Tag

Keywords

Nickname

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

Not bringing shame to family

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

Context affects meaning

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

Testing assumptions of Japanese scholars

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

FOB's

Hawaii born Nikkei living in Japan. English Teacher at YMCA.

Addressing multiracial identity can be difficult

Starred at wide receiver for Dartmouth College, now a patent attorney. Brother of Johnnie and Chad Morton.

Image of Americans

Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.