The moment he realized he identified as an American

Nisei Parents His family Traveled to Japan in 1940 His Memory of August 6, 1945 Immediately after the bombing Escape from Hiroshima Other family members not as lucky Returning to Hiroshima in ruins His parents had little hope that he had survived the atomic bomb Reuniting with parents in America Adjustment to American life The moment he realized he identified as an American Overcoming trauma and speaking about his A-Bomb experience On telling his wife he had radiation sickness and his son’s cancer His views on nuclear weapons

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I knew I was an American when I guess I was in 10th grade. My uncle who lives in Japan, he's my father’s younger brother, he’s number three. And he was given away as an adopted boy to another family because they had no heirs in that particular family. So my uncle came to our house in [the] United States at that time and he has no heirs. They’renot able to have any children. So he asked me to be adopted by him to take over his business when I grow up. And he has a very successful business in Hiroshima. And I told him, “No, there’s no way I could do that. I’ve got football practice next week.” I guess that's the point I realized, Hey I’m a Yankee, I’m an American.

Date: September 3, 2019
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Masako Miki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

identity japanese american United States