Interviews

1. Experiencing discrimination as a child

2. Feeling empowered by taiko

3. Taiko as self-expression

4. Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko

5. Learning from and appreciating the Nisei experience

6. Diverse membership in San Jose Taiko

7. Bringing Japanese American taiko to Japan

8. A “principally-based” taiko group in England creating a global taiko community

PJ Hirabayashi

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko

The relationship between the Sansei and the Issei, I think, were very similar in that with the Issei being adventurous to make that journey to a new world was something that I think we were trying to emulate, too. That freedom was the same feeling that we can easily communicate. And I think the special-ness of the Sansei respecting the fact that the Issei had come from Japan, and that was like we could see our origins right there. It was right in our face that we have to tend and care for them at the same time. You can almost see the sense of lineage.

generations identity immigrants immigration Issei Japan migration Sansei

Date: January 26, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen, Sojin Kim

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

Interviewee Bio

Patti Jo “PJ” Hirabayashi is among the most prominent women taiko players in the United States. Born and raised in Northern California, she attended Cal State Hayward where she became involved in Asian American movement activities before transferring to UC Berkeley. After graduation, she spent a year living in Japan before returning to San Jose where she was a graduate student in Urban and Regional Planning at San Jose State University. While there, she became acting director of the school’s Asian American Studies Center. She wrote her master’s thesis about the future of San Jose’s Japantown.

Hirabayashi joined San Jose Taiko in January 1974 as a charter member of the group. She is now the creative director of the ensemble, and she draws inspiration from the Asian American civil rights movement. She performs, trains, teaches, develops repertoire, tours, holds public workshops and conducts school outreach programs.(January 26, 2005)