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Boarding house life and the Issei (Japanese)

(Japanese) When I was learning gardening and working as a gardener’s helper at the boarding house, I came to know a lot of Issei. These were men who had never been able to get married and lived out their whole life single. And then there were people who crossed the border from Mexico, so-called…what do people call them now…wetbacks. There were also Issei who had lost their wives and moved in with their sons but ended up leaving and going to the boarding house because they didn’t get along with their sons’ Nisei wives. I was lucky to be able to meet so many Issei in the later years of their lives and hear their individual stories. There were indications about what Nikkei society was like at the time and how it would change from then on. For me, school in America was at the boarding house, listening to the stories of the Issei.


boardinghouses generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan Japanese Americans Kibei migration Nisei postwar World War II

Date: January 31, 2012

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki, Yoko Nishimura

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

Interviewee Bio

Edward Toru Horikiri (b. 1929), Kibei Nisei, was born in Little Tokyo, but moved with his family back to Japan when he was 18 months old. He was raised and educated in Japan during World War II, but decided to return to the U.S. in 1952 in order to re-establish the family business that was disrupted by the War. However, lacking sufficient English language skills, he did a variety of jobs including gardener, houseboy, truck driver, and grocery and supermarket employee. He continued to be involved in cultural activities through Japanese language community organizations and friendships with artists such as Taro Yashima. (June 2014)

Hiroshi Sakane
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Hiroshi Sakane

A strong Japanese identity (Japanese)

(b. 1948) Executive Director of Amano Museum

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William Hohri
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William Hohri

Japanese American, not Japanese

(1927-2010) Political Activist

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Jean Hamako Schneider
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Jean Hamako Schneider

Why I’m glad I immigrated to America (Japanese)

(b. 1925) War bride

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Terumi Hisamatsu Calloway
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Terumi Hisamatsu Calloway

Discrimination faced in San Francisco (Japanese)

(b. 1937) A war bride from Yokohama

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Willie Ito
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Willie Ito

Parents

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

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Willie Ito
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Willie Ito

Father’s Postwar Barber Career

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

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Juan Alberto Matsumoto
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Juan Alberto Matsumoto

Father’s Reason For Moving to Argentina (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Nisei Japanese Argentinian, currently residing in Japan

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Haruo Kasahara
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Haruo Kasahara

Days I spent aching for Japan in tears (Japanese)

(b.1900) Issei plantation worker in Hawai'i.

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Haruo Kasahara
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Haruo Kasahara

Tough work on plantation (Japanese)

(b.1900) Issei plantation worker in Hawai'i.

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Haruo Kasahara
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Haruo Kasahara

Leaving children in daycare all day to work (Japanese)

(b.1900) Issei plantation worker in Hawai'i.

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Haruo Kasahara
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Haruo Kasahara

How we were treated on plantation after the attack on Pearl Harbor (Japanese)

(b.1900) Issei plantation worker in Hawai'i.

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Kazumu Naganuma
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Kazumu Naganuma

Parent's immigration to Peru

(b. 1942) Japanese Peruvian incarcerated in Crystal City

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Masato Ninomiya
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Masato Ninomiya

From scrubbing pad factory worker to tailor

Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)

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Masato Ninomiya
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Masato Ninomiya

Occupations of early Japanese immigrants

Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)

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Masato Ninomiya
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Masato Ninomiya

The winners who remained at the beginning of the migration

Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)

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