Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/791/

Proud to be a Japanese desecendant (Spanish)

(Spanish) I left Japan on the Buenos Aires Maru. In practical terms, it [the ship] was built to be a battleship, I don’t know. But the crew, the majority had been to war. And before arriving at Yokohama because first we arrived at Yokohama and then at Kobe, I disembarked at Kobe. But before arriving at Yokohama, everyday, everyday, we did as one says in nihongo (Japanese), “donchan sawagi,” because we were at war, you know, as they celebrated with flags and a bunch of things. When we arrived at Yokohoma there was a big celebration, a welcoming [celebration], because already everything had been prepared. For that [reason] I say that I saw the best part of Nihon (Japan) before, during, and after the war, and over time, like twenty years or more…I saw four faces of Nihon. For that reason, I can say that I am lucky to have seen [every facet] of Japan, the worst, the best, the good and the bad, and much better. I saw it all. I don’t say this to everybody, of course, one has it inside, but it is a pride that I have in the strength of the nihonjin (Japanese). There is much that doesn’t bother them [the Japanese], but I feel it.


Japan World War II

Date: September 18, 2006

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Interviewer: Takeshi Nishimura, Ricardo Hokama

Contributed by: Centro Nikkei Argentino

Interviewee Bio

Luis Yamada is a Nisei born in Buenos Aires in 1929. His parents were immigrants who came from the Fukui province. As a little boy he traveled to Japan where he lived during World War II; afterwards he returned to Argentina. He was able to see Japan before, during, and after the war. Today he is the director of the Instituto Argentino de Paisajismo (Argentine Institute of Landscape Painting), one of the most prestigious institutes of its kind in Argentina. (September 18, 2006)

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Akutsu,Gene

Living conditions in prison while serving time for resisting the draft

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Talking to children about decision to resist the draft during World War II

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Deciding whether to answer "yes-yes" on the loyalty questionnaire in order to leave camp

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Reflecting on Japanese Americans' response to incarceration

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Japanese American railroad workers are fired following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

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A racist encounter at a movie theater following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

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Encountering a train full of Japanese Americans being transported to a concentration camp

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Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Relief fund to support Japanese communities (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

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(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

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(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

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Government's permission to publish Japanese newspaper in Canada during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shimizu,Henry

Japanese newspaper supported by Canadian government during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.