Interviews
Reuniting with parents in America
Probably around January of 1948, they told us that we had to return to United States to go back to our parents, whom we don’t remember, and leave our grandmother who raised us and saved us from total annihilation. Basically we raised holy hell. I mean we didn’t want to come back to United States. We wanted to stay with grandma. Okay, that was our mentality.
However, with lots of yelling and crying, and so forth, they put us on a ship from Yokohama in March of 1948, destined for the United States. Took us two weeks with a stopover in Hawaii to finally get here. So, two of us, my brother at 11 and a half and myself at 10, we were on the ship all by ourselves.
Date: September 3, 2019
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Masako Miki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
The Japanese society reacts to Nikkei living in Japan (Japanese)
Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history
Easier to be a foreigner in Japan (Spanish)
(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.
Investigating labor movements in Japan
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Feeling closer to Japan as a Japanese American
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Growing Up in Japan
(b. 1930) Half Japanese and grew up in both Japan and the United States.
Postwar school-life
(b. 1930) Half Japanese and grew up in both Japan and the United States.
After being discharged and returning to the nursery business
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Able to settle easily in Los Gatos with foresight and luck
(b. 1935) Sansei businessman.
Parents identification as Peruvian Okinawan
Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.
Working together in Okinawa using three languages
Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.