Johnnie Morton

(b.1971) Professional football player.

Gained appreciation of his multiracial heritage through participation in Nisei Relays Attending Japanese school Making a speech in Japanese Talking with Grandmother Growing up and identity

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Johnnie James Morton, Jr. was born in Inglewood, CA in 1971, the son of an African American father and Japanese American mother. As a child, he attended Saturday Japanese school in Gardena for three years. Growing up in Torrance, California, he graduated from the University of Southern California after a distinguished career as a student athlete on the Trojan football team.

Morton is a twelve-year veteran in the National Football League and currently plays wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. He has done some modeling and acting work, including an appearance playing himself in the film Jerry Maguire. (August 10, 2005)

hapa education japanese school speech family language african american identity