Interviews
Being “Half” in Japan
In terms of my cultural identity being “half” in Japan, oObviously, you're considered a little bit exotic in the Japanese community, but you are also different. I would go to the countryside and visit with my aunties and uncles and if I walked down the street, you know, people would turn around and say, oh, “gaijin gaijin,” you know, foreigner, foreigner.
So, but within the U.S. schools, of course, I was Japanese and there were a lot of my friends I hung out with a lot of, um I would say, Japanese-Americans. Some were from Hawaii, some were from California, their parents, and also some other half girls like me. So growing up, a lot of my friends were Japanese-American or half. And it was interesting because we would speak Japanese to each other in school so nobody would understand what we were saying.
So in that sense, in the American schools, I had a really Japanese identity; in the countryside in Japan, I was considered a gaijin. And so, you know, it was a different - different differed depending on where I was.
Date: July 14, 2022
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Lana Kobayashi
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum; Japanese American Bar Association
Explore More Videos
Looking at your country from the outside
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Wife's family in Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Lack of notion of citizenship in Japan
(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.
Lack of language skills
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Preserving traditional Japanese culture
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Having patience in Japan, being both
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Being on the outside
(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.
His parents' experience with Japanese resistance toward intermarriage with Okinawans
(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.
Working in cane fields as teenager, and how it helped in his athletic training (Japanese)
(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.
Nickname
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
Mixed emotions after declaration of war on Japan
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
Growing up in Waikiki
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
The philosophy of playing Taiko
(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.
Learning Japanese traditions by observing his mother and grandmother
(b. 1981) Enka Singer
Discover Nikkei Updates
Be in our video celebrating Nikkei worldwide. Click to learn how to submit! Deadline extended to October 15!
November 12
5pm PDT | 7pm PET
Featured Nima:
Graciela Nakachi
Guest Host:
Enrique Higa
Presented in Spanish
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook