Discover Nikkei Logo

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/387/

A conversation with a farmer in Kansas

And there was this farmer standing next to me. And I still remember him. And he was wearing these blue coveralls and he kept nudging closer to me. And finally, during a break in the auction, he said, Excuse me, sir, he said, I was overhearing you speak the language, and I was wondering how you come to speaking it so good. Where are you from? And I said, I'm from Seattle. And he says, No, he says, Where are your parents from? And I said, Well, my mother was born in Idaho, and my father was born in Seattle. And I knew what he was after, but I had just decided, since these were questions that I'd probably answered half-a-dozen times prior to this conversation, that I would only answer him truthfully, and give him what he asked. And he said, Well, what's your ancestry? or something like that. I says, Well, I'm Japanese, Japanese American. And he says, Well, konnichi wa (hello). And I kind of looked at him, and he said, The little lady and I lived in Japan. And he said, We used to buy them pictures of 'gishi' girls wearin' them kimonos. And he says, Do you do pictures like that? And I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and just sort of said, Yeah. And my friend that was with me was just laughing hysterically. And I just wanted to get away from this guy.


racism stereotypes

Date: March 18 & 20, 2003

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Alice Ito and Mayumi Tsutakawa

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Roger Shimomura's paintings, prints, and theater pieces address sociopolitical issues of Asian America. Many of his works are inspired by the diaries kept by his late immigrant grandmother for fifty-six years. Shimomura has had more than 100 solo exhibitions of his paintings and prints, and has presented his experimental theater pieces at such venues as the Franklin Furnace, New York; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Widely honored as an educator, he was designated a University Distinguished Professor by the University of Kansas. In 2001 the College Art Association presented him with the Artist Award for Most Distinguished Body of Work in recognition of his four-year, twelve-museum national tour of the painting exhibition An American Diary. He retired from teaching in 2004.

Shimomura's personal papers are being collected by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. He is represented by galleries in New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Miami, and Seattle.

*The full interview is available Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Richard Kosaki
en
ja
es
pt
Richard Kosaki

Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

en
ja
es
pt
Richard Kosaki
en
ja
es
pt
Richard Kosaki

Change in attitudes after World War II

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

en
ja
es
pt
Art Shibayama
en
ja
es
pt
Art Shibayama

Thoughts on the post-9/11 atmosphere in the U.S.

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki

Encountering racial discrimination at a public swimming pool

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki

Making the decision to resist the draft

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

en
ja
es
pt
Marion Tsutakawa Kanemoto
en
ja
es
pt
Marion Tsutakawa Kanemoto

Hearing anti-American war propaganda from a teacher

(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.

en
ja
es
pt
Fred Sasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Fred Sasaki

Family background of Fredrick Yoshihide Sasaki

(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada

en
ja
es
pt
Fred Sasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Fred Sasaki

Anti-Japanese sentiment at the time of World War II

(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada

en
ja
es
pt
Sam Naito
en
ja
es
pt
Sam Naito

Difficulty getting work during World War II

(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores

en
ja
es
pt
Toshio Inahara
en
ja
es
pt
Toshio Inahara

Classified 4C - enemy alien

(b. 1921) Vascular surgeon

en
ja
es
pt
Alfredo Kato
en
ja
es
pt
Alfredo Kato

Post-war experiences in Lima (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

en
ja
es
pt
Alfredo Kato
en
ja
es
pt
Alfredo Kato

Stereotypes about Japanese: past and present (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa
en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa

First impression of New York City during war time

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

en
ja
es
pt
PJ Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
PJ Hirabayashi

Experiencing discrimination as a child

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

en
ja
es
pt
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
en
ja
es
pt
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

The only Japanese family in Ocean Park

(b. 1934) Writer

en
ja
es
pt

Discover Nikkei Updates

CALL FOR VIDEOS
Pass the Food!
Be in our video celebrating Nikkei worldwide. Click to learn how to submit! Deadline extended to October 15!
NIKKEI CHRONICLES #13
Nikkei Names 2: Grace, Graça, Graciela, Megumi?
What’s in a name? Share the story of your name with our community. Submissions close on October 31!
NIMA VOICES
Episode 17
November 12
5pm PDT | 7pm PET
Featured Nima:
Graciela Nakachi
Guest Host:
Enrique Higa

Presented in Spanish