Discover Nikkei Logo

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/798/

Changing life styles of successive generations (Portuguese)

(Portuguese) Well, my life, my personal life, it’s, you know, I’d say that it’s pretty typical of a large part of the Japanese community in Brazil. So, my family, from the beginning, it’s interesting because I come from a family of fishermen in Japan. My grandfather came to Brazil and started growing cotton. Then later he switched to potatoes and grew potatoes. And then my father followed, my father has passed away, but my brothers continue in farming. We’re six, of six children, the three men are still in farming.

As for me, the oldest daughter, I left the interior, which has a community of more or less, the Japanese community there these days is somewhere around two hundred families, those that live in Itapetininga. But I came to São Paulo, I left for São Paulo in 1972. I never went back, I still live in São Paulo, right. Meaning, you could say that there was a whole phase, up until I was eighteen, when I lived in an agrarian community, in an interior community that was by and large rural. Afterwards, I came to São Paulo, I went to São Paulo, to study, I went to college. And there, I continued in the Japanese community.


Brazil identity

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)

Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki

Grandmother's influence on decision to go to Japan

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

en
ja
es
pt
Masakatsu Jaime Ashimine Oshiro
en
ja
es
pt
Masakatsu Jaime Ashimine Oshiro

A Possible Path towards Happiness… (Spanish)

(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan

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

What is Nikkei? (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

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

Learning from Nikkei (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi

Nickname

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

en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi

Context affects meaning

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

en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
James Hirabayashi

Testing assumptions of Japanese scholars

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

en
ja
es
pt
Steve Kaji
en
ja
es
pt
Steve Kaji

FOB's

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

en
ja
es
pt
Venancio Shinki
en
ja
es
pt
Venancio Shinki

Prejudice in Japanese school (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

en
ja
es
pt
Mike Shinoda
en
ja
es
pt
Mike Shinoda

Connecting to Japan

(b. 1977) Musician, Producer, Artist

en
ja
es
pt
PJ Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
PJ Hirabayashi

Feeling empowered by taiko

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

en
ja
es
pt
PJ Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
PJ Hirabayashi

Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

en
ja
es
pt
Ann K. Nakamura
en
ja
es
pt
Ann K. Nakamura

Image of Americans

Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.

en
ja
es
pt
Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi Okasaki

Japanese influence growing up

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

en
ja
es
pt
PJ Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
PJ Hirabayashi

Diverse membership in San Jose Taiko

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

en
ja
es
pt

Discover Nikkei Updates

NIKKEI NAMES 2
Vote for Nima-kai Favorite!
Read the stories and give a star to the ones you like the most! Help select our Community Favorite.
PROJECT UPDATES
New Site Design
See exciting new changes to Discover Nikkei. Find out what’s new and what’s coming soon!
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
We’re on Instagram!
Follow us @discovernikkei for new site content, program announcements, and more!