Decision to remain in the US and become an American citizen

Studying in Japan before working in the US His father urged him to go to the US Americans changing his opinion of the US Returning to Japan after studying in New York Decision to remain in the US and become an American citizen The first garden he visited in the US Practicing in the US Developing international programs Describing the meaning of "Nikkei"

Transcripts available in the following languages:

I decided, okay, I should change my life again. So I applied to Cal Poly, they accepted. And then that time I was really not so sure I was able to stay here for a long time. So I told, you know, we are going to come back within three years.

But the, you know, the practice here is very welcoming, my practice. And then children...grown up. So we decided, my wife, “Why don’t we just live here?” Because my son becoming, first son, Koji, becoming citizen. Son become citizen, why parents shouldn’t be citizen, so we decided citizen, 19 – I think ‘89.

Date: August 10, 2016
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Sojin Kim, John Esaki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

1960s civil rights Japan movement student strikes