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https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/313/

Interviews

(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

I try to pick up the good points from the American side and the good values and cultural things from the Japanese side. I think I mentioned a little bit is the patience issue. Normally, in Japan, they've got all these rules and regulations that they really adhere to. You know, there is no exceptions on some things. In the tea ceremony, you know, you've got to put it here. You may not put it here. It's got to be here. There are certain rules and regulations that are hard to understand. And sometimes there might be a reason, but it just doesn't seem logical. So instead of getting all mad about it, you just throw up your hands and go, Oh, it's Japanese; we're in Japan. And then I kind of deal with it.

In that way, I see...I see the service industry here in Japan as very nice. Whereas the Americans can kind of be abrupt and almost rude in some ways, when you get used to being here in Japan, you know, the service is so ultimately...they always make you feel special. 90 percent of the time, depending on where you go. So in a way, just feeling-wise, I think...I don't know, my husband would probably know the best. I am American in a way, but also very Japanese in another way.


Finding Home (film) identity Japan racially mixed people

Date: September 3, 2003

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Interviewer: Art Nomura

Contributed by: Art Nomura, Finding Home.

Interviewee Bio

Jane Aiko Yamano, 38-year-old Nisei-Yonsei, was born in Los Angeles and moved to Japan at age 12 with her Japanese father and Sansei mother. At the time that her family moved to Japan, Jane’s Japanese was minimal, even though she attended Saturday Japanese school in Los Angeles. She was enrolled in the American School in Tokyo, which was largely English-speaking. She then graduated from Sophia University and went to beauty college, after which she went into business.

Ms. Yamano is now fluent in speaking, but limited in reading and writing Japanese. She recognizes the restrictions placed upon women in Japan, but her position as head of a beauty college gives her more authority than usual for a woman. She is a Japanese citizen, having been registered by her father, and is also a U.S. citizen, holding passports from both countries. She has now lived in Japan for over 25 years. (September 3, 2003)

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

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(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Identity as a conscious ongoing process

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Lessons learned from The Hapa Project

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Japanese Americans are more aware of their Hapa identity

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Discomfort at being labeled by others

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Issues of identity outside of America

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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Imposing identity upon others

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

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Kip Fulbeck
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The right to say who you are

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What does Nikkei mean to you? (Spanish)

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Kristi Yamaguchi
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Support from the Japanese American community

(b.1971) Professional figure skater and Olympic gold medalist.

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Lorraine Bannai
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Heightened awareness of identity as a Japanese American

(b. 1955) Lawyer

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Dale Minami
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Reasons for conformity and competitiveness in Gardena, California

(b. 1946) Lawyer

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Dale Minami
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(b. 1946) Lawyer

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(b.1971) Professional football player.

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