Interviews

1. Grandfather migrating to Colombia

2. Family having to hide guns during World War II in Colombia

3. Stories of Grandfather at a concentration camp in Fusagasuga

4. Keirokai, the biggest celebration in the Cali Nikkei community

5. Food preparations for Keirokai

6. Japanese reputation in Colombia

7. Her definition of Nikkei

8. Identification as Colombian, feeling closer to JA than Japanese

9. Interracial marriage trends

10. Her grandfather in a concentration camp in Fusagasuga (Spanish)

11. Japanese were treated with dignity during WWII (Spanish)

Monica Teisher

(b.1974) Japanese Colombian who currently resides in the United States

Family having to hide guns during World War II in Colombia

I'm assuming there were all kinds of curfews, and also like guns. They weren't allowed to have guns, and stuff. There's a story where my uncle said that they would come, and check on them every so often. They would send guards to go check on them, on the families. And so when they knew they were coming, they would hide the guns, and the valuables in hidey holes, or something like gopher holes that they had found where armadillos lived, or something.

They had found several little places, nooks, and crannies, and they would hide those things that were considered valuables. Even guns because guns weren't allowed. They weren't allowed to have guns, but they needed guns to survive and hunt, and whatever not because they were living practically in the rural place. And even for self defense, or I don't know snakes, whatever it is that you need guns for those things. So they would hide them until they left.

Colombia firearms guns weapons World War II

Date: September 22, 2019

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Yoko Nishimura

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

Interviewee Bio

Monica Teisher was born in Cali, Colombia in 1974 to an Issei father and Nisei mother. She and her large extended family were active in the Cali Japanese community, the largest in Colombia. She moved to the United States after marrying a U.S. citizen of Eastern European Jewish descent. They and their daughters spend vacation time in Colombia, participating in community events. (May 2020)

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