Interviews

1. Life in Davao, Philippines

2. Kindergarten in Davao, Philippines

3. Evacuated to the Jungle

4. Captured by Guerillas after bombing of Pearl Harbor

5. Family was shipped back to Japan after the war

6. Attitudes toward Hikiagesha

7. Move to Los Angeles

8. First Impressions of the US

9. Life in the Philippines

10. Unique Identity from Having Multiple Backgrounds

11. On Nikkei Identity

12. Returning to the Philippines

Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

Unique Identity from Having Multiple Backgrounds

Throughout my life, I think, I identified as Japanese, because that’s most of the – my growing period was spent in Japan, and the influence is very strong. But after I came to United States, it was difficult for me to decide, “Who am I?” you know, because I was born in Philippine, and then also Japanese, and then now I’m American, and it took me a long time to decide, “Okay, I’m going to be just my own citizenship. I’m all of it.” So – so that’s the only way that I could just live with my own background.

citizenship identity Japan Philippines United States

Date: July 12, 2017

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Mitsue Watanabe, Yoko Nishimura, Leighton Okada

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

Interviewee Bio

Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura was born in Davao, Mindanao, Philippines on March 25, 1938 as the first daughter of Katsujiro and Ura “Mie” Ashizawa. She was 7 years old in 1945 when her family had to leave the Philippines after Japan’s defeat in World War II. Her family lived in Shizuoka for the next 10 years. Later the family received residency status in the United States and arrived in Los Angeles in March 1956. Sawako went to Alhambra High School and later studied at Pasadena City College. She eventually found a generous mentor who helped support her through her education at San Jose State University and became an occupational therapist. Currently she is volunteering at the Sakura Garden (Formerly Keiro Retirement Home). (March 2018)