Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/893/

Not wanting to stand out as a foreigner

I always had this dream of living abroad in a foreign country since I was in junior high school. And then when I was…originally, I wanted to live in Europe. Then I went to Europe when I was 19. I went for a summer. But I originally intended to go for 3 months. I ended up staying for 6 months. I had a one-year open ticket. I met some people in Germany. They were working for the military and I got a job as a janitor, just running wild – drinking…and they were…one guy was Canadian, two guys from America and I just kind of slept wherever – on the floor in their apartment. I didn’t have a room. I was kind of a bum. That was fun. I had a great time.

But living in Europe for a short time, I realized I didn’t want to live…I wasn’t comfortable in Europe because you stand out. I didn’t like being…like being in America. I don’t like standing out, being targeted with racial epithets and things. So I don’t need that in my life. So living in Japan was much more comfortable when I first came here. It’s that whole point of not standing out, I think, which makes my life comfortable here.


Finding Home (film) identity migration

Date: November 11, 2003

Location: Kyoto, Japan

Interviewer: Art Nomura

Contributed by: Art Nomura, Finding Home.

Interviewee Bio

Peter Mizuki, a Sansei, was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. As a child he helped in his family’s lumber business and was involved with the Japanese martial art of kendo. Later, while a student at the University of Washington, he was one of the founding members of the Kendo Club. As his interest in Japanese culture developed, he traveled to Japan on a cultural visa to learn Japanese and continue his study of kendo. There, he met his wife in Kyoto. He now has two sons, is a permanent resident of Japan, and continues to practice kendo and teach English part-time at universities. In his interview, Peter shares his experiences of being a Japanese American in Japan and the struggles he’s endured to be accepted by Japanese society. (2005)

Okasaki,Robert (Bob) Kiyoshi

Grandmother's influence on decision to go to Japan

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

Ashimine Oshiro,Masakatsu Jaime

A Possible Path towards Happiness… (Spanish)

(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan

Shimizu,Henry

Grandmother convinced his mother to return to Canada

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

Funai,Kazuo

First work in America (Japanese)

(1900-2005) Issei businessman

Iino,Masako

Interest in Japanese migration studies (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

Iino,Masako

What is Nikkei? (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

Iino,Masako

Learning from Nikkei (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

Hirabayashi,James

Nickname

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

Shinki,Venancio

We go to America (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

Hirabayashi,James

Context affects meaning

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

Hirabayashi,James

Testing assumptions of Japanese scholars

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

Kaji,Steve

FOB's

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

Shinki,Venancio

Prejudice in Japanese school (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

Shinoda,Mike

Connecting to Japan

(b. 1977) Musician, Producer, Artist

Uesugi,Takeo

Studying in Japan before working in the US

(1940-2016) Issei Landscape Architect