Interviews

1. What does Nikkei mean to you? (Spanish)

2. Japanese vs. Peruvian identity (Spanish)

3. Peru Shimpo for the Nikkei community (Spanish)

4. Escaping to a small village in the mountains during the World War II (Spanish)

5. Post-war experiences in Lima (Spanish)

6. Stereotypes about Japanese: past and present (Spanish)

Alfredo Kato

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

Japanese vs. Peruvian identity (Spanish)

(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.

identity Nikkei Peru United States

Date: October 7, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Ann Kaneko

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.

Interviewee Bio

Alfredo Kato was born in Cañete, Peru, on November 12, 1937. During World War II, his family lived in Cañete, but his father moved them to a mountainous region called Lunaguara. In 1947, they returned to Lima. At that time, Nikkei were not allowed to gather in public, so he attended Japanese school clandestinely.

He studied at la Universidad Católica and has been a journalist for 44 years. Currently, he is director of the Japanese Peruvian newspaper, Perú Shimpo and professor at the Universidad de San Martín de Porres. (October 7, 2005)