Interviews

1. The Origin of my Name (Japanese)

2. Attending Kindergarten in Panama (Japanese)

3. My father who returned by prisoner of war exchange ship (Japanese)

4. Meeting Harry for the first time (Japanese)

5. On international marriages (Japanese)

6. Masao-san (Japanese)

7. Conflicted about immigrating to America (Japanese)

8. You can’t be loyal to two countries (Japanese)

9. Respecting the will of a five-year-old daughter (Japanese)

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

(1925-2024) War bride

On international marriages (Japanese)

(Japanese) I used to work on the fifth floor of the broadcasting station, and his office was on the sixth. Even at that, we’d always arrange to meet somewhere else. We were barely able to meet, though—and only at places where nobody would see us. I didn’t want to be like everyone else. There were a lot of Japanese women walking together with foreigners at that time, hanging off their hands and whatnot. I’ve never done that. When we walked through the streets of Tokyo, we walked apart, so that others wouldn’t find us out.

I didn’t want people to think that I was with him because I wanted things. But apparently, when I was working at the broadcasting station, my co-workers had a vague sense that I was together with a foreigner. At that time, we only met a tiny little bit, but everyone asked me, “What do you think about international marriages?” So, I told them. I said, “Personally, I am completely against it.” “Oh, really?” they asked back. Then, I said, “International marriages are for the most part dangerous, and now isn’t the time for it. I’m personally completely against it.” That’s what I told them then. Marriage might have been on my mind more and more at the time, though… The one thing I didn’t say to my co-workers was this: “But my case is different.” I wanted to tell them that, but I didn’t.

identity postwar World War II

Date: January 26, 2012

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki, Yoko Nishimura

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

Interviewee Bio

Jean Hamako Schneider (former name: Amano) was born in 1925 in Yokohama. In 1933, she went with her father, who was to run a business in Latin America, to Panama where she stayed for two years. Her father remained in Panama after her, but came back to Japan in 1942 on a prisoner of war exchange ship. While working at a radio station after the war, Hamako met Harry Schneider, who was stationed in Japan with the U.S. Military Intelligence Service (MIS). In 1948, the two married in Japan, and, in 1950, Hamako left for America as a war bride. After that, she gave birth to a daughter and quickly acquired American citizenship. Currently, she lives in Encinitas, California. She passed away in December 2024 at age 99. (December 2024)

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Keywords

Having patience in Japan, being both

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

Acculturation

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

Preserving traditional Japanese culture

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

Japanese are more accustomed to foreigners

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

Her experience as a Japanese-American schoolchild in Oceanside, California, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(1924-2018) Artist and playwright.

Food growing up

(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.

Being on the outside

(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.

Returning to Maui during baseball off-seasons to remind himself of the hard work required to succeed

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

His parents' experience with Japanese resistance toward intermarriage with Okinawans

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

Working in cane fields as teenager, and how it helped in his athletic training (Japanese)

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

Nickname

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

Feelings of loyalty to America while in Japan

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

Mixed emotions after declaration of war on Japan

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

Identifies as Japanese, but home is San Francisco

Shishimai (Lion dance) and Taiko player with San Francisco Taiko Dojo.

Growing up in Waikiki

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

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On international marriages (Japanese)

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