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Luckiest Issei

My father is just like one of the Issei, work hard, and be honest. And everything keep clean. And obey to order. So I think Mr. Cotton liked my father's working habits...? Not habits... ethics. So once my father felt Mr. Cotton's kindness, he believed him like a god, I guess. And also, Mrs. Cotton teaching him everything, high society's manners. So my father, when I was a kid, my father was very strict about table manners, how to eat with a fork and knife, how to drink soup, how to eat and cut meat.

After you guys growing up, and maybe they want back to USA or foreign student to America. That time, I don't want you guys to get poor feeling from the white student, so you should know the manners, etiquette. That was my teacher's, what my father taught us. That was all learned from Mrs. Cotton. So overall, my father was really luckiest Issei, I guess.


aesthetics education ethics generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan metaphysics migration psychology theory of knowledge values

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)

Roy Hirabayashi
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Roy Hirabayashi

Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

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

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Dale Minami
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Dale Minami

Impact of the original Korematsu case on current events

(b. 1946) Lawyer

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Kazuomi Takagi

Learning Spanish (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Johnnie Morton
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Johnnie Morton

Attending Japanese school

(b.1971) Professional football player.

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George Yoshida
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George Yoshida

Ways of Fitting In

(b. 1922) Musician

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Clifford Uyeda
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Clifford Uyeda

Japanese Language School

(1917 - 2004) Political activist

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Henry Suto
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Henry Suto

School life in Japan (Japanese)

(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.

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Sumiko Kozawa
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Sumiko Kozawa

Learning English

(1916-2016) Florist

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Henry Suto
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Henry Suto

Working tirelessly after the war (Japanese)

(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.

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BJ Kobayashi
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BJ Kobayashi

From attorney to developer

Hawaiian businessman, developer.

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William Hohri
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William Hohri

Japanese American, not Japanese

(1927-2010) Political Activist

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Tamio Wakayama
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Tamio Wakayama

Defining "Nikkei"

(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist

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Susumu “Sus” Ito
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Susumu “Sus” Ito

Feeling prejudice while looking for jobs

(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

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Susumu “Sus” Ito
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Susumu “Sus” Ito

Invited to teach at Harvard by his boss

(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

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Fred Y. Hoshiyama
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Fred Y. Hoshiyama

Advice from his mother

(1914–2015) Nisei YMCA and Japanese American community leader

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