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

Keirokai, the biggest celebration in the Cali Nikkei community

It's [Keirokai] our biggest celebration we do, as a community. They put on little shows, or presentations for them, and they celebrate who's the longest living person in the community even if they're present, or not. They talk about who joined the Keiro community because who's old enough to join in. And yeah, they just have shows... They gather them together in a room to honor them. And they serve them a nice special lunch. That is where the community comes in play a lot. And there's representative of every family

Colombia communities events Japanese Colombians Keiro (organization)

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)

Explore More Videos

Interviewee

Tag

Keywords

George Ariyoshi

Ethnic diversity

(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i

James Hirabayashi

Christian gatherings in homes

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

James Hirabayashi

Not bringing shame to family

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

James Hirabayashi

Role of the Japanese American National Museum

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

Peggie Nishimura Bain

Learning American cooking

(b.1909) Nisei from Washington. Incarcerated at Tule Lake and Minidoka during WWII. Resettled in Chicago after WWII

Roger Shimomura

Japanese American community life

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor

Kimi Wakabayashi

Her early life in Canada

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

George Azumano

Downtown in Portland, Oregon

(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel

Kip Fulbeck

Lessons learned from The Hapa Project

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

Alfredo Kato

Peru Shimpo for the Nikkei community (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

Bill Hashizume

Japanese community in Mission

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

PJ Hirabayashi

Taiko as self-expression

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

PJ Hirabayashi

A “principally-based” taiko group in England creating a global taiko community

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

Byron Glaser

Growing up in a Japanese American community

Illustrator and designer

Francis Y. Sogi

The Kona Island community

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

Discover Nikkei Updates

SAVE THE DATE

Discover Nikkei Fest is on February 8! Join us for a community fair, workshops, a panel discussion, and much more. Sign up now for virtual or in-person tickets.

NIKKEI NAMES 2

The Editorial Committee and Nima-kai Community Favorites have been announced! Find out which stories are this year’s favorites 🏆

PROJECT UPDATES

New Site Design
See exciting new changes to Discover Nikkei. Find out what’s new and what’s coming soon!

Interviews

Watch more clips

Monica Teisher

Keirokai, the biggest celebration in the Cali Nikkei community

Explore More Videos

Discover Nikkei Updates