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https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1180/

About her father

Oh my father was a typical Issei I would say. Number 1: he was super strict. And yet - that’s only one facet of his personality. But he did care for us, he was a very hard worker and I would say to the end of his life, he was super ethical. And so he had strength of character and he had a very good sense of humor. I used to go, I mean, he was in…was it Taul Building on First and San Pedro? Well, he had an office on a corner on the third floor and a lot of times I would ask him if he wanted me to clean his office, so I would go and clean his office and then children would come and he would be laughing and gushing over them and all this and that and he was really friendly, etc. and he would give them something later on and I would come home and say, “gee momma, how come papa is so nice to kids and he’s always telling us that hmph!” You know, and his favorite word to me was “baka!


families generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan migration

Date: February 3, 2010

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Eiko Masuyama, Carole Fujita, Yoko Nishimura

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

Interviewee Bio

Margaret Kuroiwa is the third daughter of Dr. Daishiro Kuroiwa from Saga-ken, Japan and Agnes Haruyo Ogawa Kuroiwa. Her father was a prominent Issei physician who worked at the Turner Street Southern California Japanese Hospital, and was one of the five doctors, along with Dr. Tashiro, to file the lawsuit against the State of California. His practice was in Boyle Heights and in the Taul Building in Little Tokyo. He also treated tuberculosis patients at the Monrovia Sanitarium. She and her 4 sisters were born at the new Japanese Hospital on First and Fickett. (April 11, 2010)

George Katsumi Yuzawa
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Death of sister in October 1942

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

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Mas Kodani
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The performing arts not for Nisei

Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.

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PJ Hirabayashi
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Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Impact of Pearl Harbor on her family

(1934 -2024) Writer

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Initial impact on life at camp

(1934 -2024) Writer

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Her father as a typical Issei

(1934 -2024) Writer

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Roy Hirabayashi
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Celebrating traditional Japanese New Years with family

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

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Roy Hirabayashi
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Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Results of being more American than Japanese

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Family separated in the camps

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

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Francis Y. Sogi
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Visiting family in Japan

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Family first

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Being accepted as biracial family

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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George Yamada
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Memories of railroad workers who stayed at family's prewar hotel in Spokane, Washington

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

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Richard Mamiya
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Treating international and VIP patients

(b.1925) Sansei, cardiovascular surgeon.

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