Discover Nikkei Logo

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1782/

Influence of Mexican culture after returning from camp

You know, it’s interesting because when we first came back from Camp, we actually got, we got discriminated against by the Mexican-Americans—when we came back, everybody didn't like the Japanese—and they didn’t like us either. We came back and there was actually a lot of hostility from alls circles. I think what started opening people up was that my parents started attending the local church, the local Catholic Church, everyone in that community was Catholic. And my mom, shall we say, my mom turned Mexican during that community, she fell in love with the Mexican culture, language, food, everything, and so she was the toast of the neighborhood. She was amazingly fluent in Spanish and practiced every day. She made it a point of going to movies and so in terms of Mexican American culture.

I always thought to some extent it was influenced to some extent too, by my oldest brother Steve, because what had happened when we came to Orange County was that my oldest brothers were in school. So they started going back and forth to school they used get beat up every day by the White kids. At some point, the Mexican kids got tired of watching them get beat up and started jumping in for them and it...and I think it affected the way we grew up because our family was very close to the Mexican Americans because they stood up us, there was like nobody else would, you know. But anyways, we moved out of there shortly thereafter we went to East LA but I thought that cultural sort of immersion was capable, was possible because of that, that support at a time again when you know, Japanese Americans were very unpopular. We didn’t have a lot of support any place when somebody would jump in for us that meant something, that and it’s just like that today. You know, when somebody wants to pile onto the unpopular minority or the targeted individual whoever that is any given time everybody wants to pile on for that person and it becomes a popular sport for people who have got a sadistic streak. So anybody that would defend people in that situation they are in my heart.


communities culture discrimination interpersonal relations Mexican Americans minorities postwar prejudices World War II

Date: Jul 14, 2020

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Matthew Saito

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

Interviewee Bio

Mia Yamamoto is a Sansei transgender attorney and civil rights activist. She was born in the Poston concentration camp in Arizona in 1943 where her parents were incarcerated. She joined the Army and served in the Vietnam War. Inspired by her father's courage to speak out against the unconstitutional incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, she attended the University of California Los Angeles's School of Law and has been a leader in the field of social justice, including working with the Japanese American Bar Association. (March 2021)

*This is one of the main projects completed by The Nikkei Community Internship (NCI) Program intern each summer, which the Japanese American Bar Association and the Japanese American National Museum have co-hosted.

George Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi

Ethnic diversity

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

en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi

Prom during the war

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

en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
George Ariyoshi

Influence of veterans

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

en
ja
es
pt
Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi
en
ja
es
pt
Jean Hayashi Ariyoshi

Day Pearl Harbor was bombed

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

en
ja
es
pt
Kazuo Funai
en
ja
es
pt
Kazuo Funai

Japan vs. the United States (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

en
ja
es
pt
Kazuo Funai
en
ja
es
pt
Kazuo Funai

Company in Tokyo burned down (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi

Christian gatherings in homes

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

en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
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

en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi

Life in camp as teenager

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

en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi

Past ties to present situation in Middle East

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

en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
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

en
ja
es
pt
Robert Katayama
en
ja
es
pt
Robert Katayama

Being ordered to keep a diary that was later confiscated, ostensibly by the FBI

Hawaiian Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami
en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami

Bombing of Pearl Harbor

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami
en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami

Helping soldiers

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami
en
ja
es
pt
Barbara Kawakami

Brother leaves for war, survival

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

en
ja
es
pt

Discover Nikkei Updates

NIMA VOICES
Episode 19
Guest host Tamlyn Tomita chatted with actor Christopher Sean in the latest episode of Nima Voices about his background, acting, and community involvement.
WATCH NOW!
NIKKEI CHRONICLES #14
Nikkei Family 2: Remembering Roots, Leaving Legacies
Find out which stories were selected as the Editorial Committee and Nima-kai Community Favorites!
SUPPORT THE PROJECT
Discover Nikkei’s 20 for 20 campaign celebrates our first 20 years and jumpstarts our next 20. Learn more and donate!