I think people in Japan so far have looked at it as more of like a design and culture magazine for America. I don’t think they really looked at it as Asian American or identify me as Asian American, which is kind of cool, because I think for the longest time in Japan, people would look at a Japanese American person, and I don’t know, it seemed like they would kind of like, I don’t know if they had disdain, but it didn’t seem like it was as respected as if I were not Japanese American. But it seems like my friend in Japan once told me that a magazine like Giant Robot does help Japanese people look at Asian American people and kind of understand that, you know, we’re a big part of pop culture and culture in general in America, and it’s really important that Asian Americans do count too. It’s not just the Marlboro Man, it does count, so I think my friend maybe had a point and I’m glad to be part of that, because I always felt that Asian Americans got overlooked by Asian people in general.
Date: November 27, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: John Esaki and Janice Tanaka
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
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