Discover Nikkei Logo

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/501/

Stereotypes about Japanese: past and present (Spanish)

(Spanish) Well, I remember that during the war, the USA flooded all the movie screens with films in which Japan was always the enemy, and a cruel enemy. Even in the regular series, which we watched since we were little, we’d see Batman fighting against the Japanese. The Japanese were always the bad guys. And we, innocently, kept going to see the movies, without realizing that they were going to portray the Japanese, our fathers’ fathers, you could say, as this cruel enemy that would kill even for fun. I remember one time I went to see a movie called, exactly as MacArthur had said, “We’ll be back.” When the movie was over – and the movie of course was anti-Japanese – we left, me and my cousin, who were both still little, and everyone was looking at us as if we were, you know, the plague, as they say-diseased, like lepers or something. In any case it was an ugly experience, it really was.

I*: Do you think that kids today experience things like that or not?

No, not anymore. I think the only thing that might bother them would be that they call all of us with almond-shaped eyes “Chinese.” [Laughs] That’s the only thing that… Although we don’t have anything at all against the Chinese. We all get along really well. But they lump us all together like that.

* "I" indicates an interviewer (Ann Kaneko).


discrimination interpersonal relations postwar racism World War II

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)

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
Mitsuo Ito
en
ja
es
pt
Mitsuo Ito

Chose to go back to Japan

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

en
ja
es
pt
Mitsuo Ito
en
ja
es
pt
Mitsuo Ito

Getting a job at the British Army camp in Hiroshima

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

en
ja
es
pt
Shizuko Kadoguchi
en
ja
es
pt
Shizuko Kadoguchi

Choice to move east or go to Japan

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

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

Undergraduate studies interrupted following Pearl Harbor

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

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
Paul Terasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Paul Terasaki

His experiences in Chicago after WWII

(b.1929) Pioneer medical researcher in tissue transfer and organ transplantation.

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

Classified 4C - enemy alien

(b. 1921) Vascular surgeon

en
ja
es
pt
George Azumano
en
ja
es
pt
George Azumano

Discharged from the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel

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

Reaction to a 1942 speech by Mike Masaoka, Japanese American Citizen League's National Secretary

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

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
George Katsumi Yuzawa
en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa

Neighbors' sympathy after Pearl Harbor

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

en
ja
es
pt
Masako Iino
en
ja
es
pt
Masako Iino

Interest in Japanese migration studies (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

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

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