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https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/795/

Japan's impact on the image of Nikkei in Brazil (Portuguese)

(Portuguese) The image that Nikkei have in Brazilian society is an extremely positive one. I think that in the imagination, in their head, when a Brazilian says the word Nikkei, they say or they remember something about people who worked hard, who worked in agriculture, well-behaved students, very quiet students, right? I think there’s a whole series of positive characteristics. I think that even today – it’s interesting that today in Brazil just about fifteen percent of Japanese descendents work in agriculture.

But nevertheless, Brazilian society has this image of a Japanese person, or of someone from a Japanese family, as a farmer’s child, or as a farmer. And then, I don’t think it’s a positive image of just the Nippo-Brazilian community, there’s also a positive image of Japan, right? And more recently, when people talk about Nikkei, they imagine, what comes into their mind is the question of Brazilian workers living in Japan. So, unfortunately, or fortunately, they have, you know, this idea about a person, a person of Japanese descent, that goes to Japan, works, and brings back money, brings back dollars to Brazil.

So I think there’s this combination, right, of a shared history within the country, then of a Japanese society that emerged from the ashes of the Second World War and became a first world country, and then today of those descendents who are going to Japan to work, who are sacrificing and bringing money back to their families or to try and get ahead in Brazil.


Brazil dekasegi foreign workers identity Nikkei Nikkei in Japan United States

Date: October 7, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Ann Kaneko

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

Interviewee Bio

Célia Abe Oi was born in Itapetininga in 1950. Her grandparents had arrived in Brazil in 1929. Originally from a family of fishermen on the island of Atatajima, near the city of Hiroshima, upon their arrival they began working in the Brazilian countryside, initially in the cotton fields and later growing potatoes. Her parents and siblings also worked in agriculture. In 1968, she began studying History in college, and in 1979 completed her course in Journalism at the Cásper Líbero College. In the mid-1970s, she began working in the editorial room of the Portuguese section of the Diário Nippak newspaper. Célia contributed to various journals and publications tied to the Japanese-Brazilian community, until she became the director of the Museum of the History of Japanese Immigration in 1998. (July 26, 2006)

James Hirabayashi
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Nickname

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

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James Hirabayashi
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Not bringing shame to family

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

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James Hirabayashi
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Context affects meaning

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

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James Hirabayashi
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Testing assumptions of Japanese scholars

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

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Steve Kaji
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FOB's

Hawaii born Nikkei living in Japan. English Teacher at YMCA.

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Eric Morton
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Addressing multiracial identity can be difficult

Starred at wide receiver for Dartmouth College, now a patent attorney. Brother of Johnnie and Chad Morton.

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Ann K. Nakamura
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Image of Americans

Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.

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Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
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Grandmother's influence on decision to go to Japan

(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.

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Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
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Band-Aid realization

(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.

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Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
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Japanese influence growing up

(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.

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Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
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Looking at your country from the outside

(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.

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Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
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Wife's family in Japan

(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.

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Yukio Takeshita
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Lack of notion of citizenship in Japan

(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.

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Yukio Takeshita
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Involvement in JACL

(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.

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Jane Aiko Yamano
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Lack of language skills

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

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