Up to my mom's generation, of my mom's age, most of the marriages were within. They tried to bring somebody, or yeah somehow so-and-so's friend, or I guess friends, and neighbors, or business partners they try to intermarry their kids. Because I guess, generationally it was sought after to try and have marriages within Japanese community. But we do have a few, and now younger generations are inter marrying into general population, mostly because you just can't find anyone to marry within the community.
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)