(Spanish) The question of whether one identifies more with Japan than with Peru… Ever since I was a little kid I’ve felt really drawn to Japanese culture, so much so that my dad, being Japanese, was surprised that I collected traditional Japanese music. He would say, “But, you, what do you know about that stuff!” Still, I had my music collection with shakuhachi, with all kinds of shamisen, even gagaku – music from the ancient Japanese imperial court. There are times when I start thinking about how, if there was ever some kind of conflict between Peru and Japan, it would be really hard for me to take either side, because, honestly, at the same time I feel very Japanese and very Peruvian. It’s an issue that I still haven’t been able to distill or figure out.
Date: October 7, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Ann Kaneko
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.
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