Going to Mexico for the first time was something that both frightened and excited me. As a Japanese American from the Seattle area, I had grown up with limited connections to my Nikkei community, and representing the United States and the Nikkei Youth Association (NYA) at Vibra Joven (a Japanese youth camp hosted in Mexico) felt overwhelming. When my plane was delayed, I worried about my first impression. However, Nori—who would become like a big brother—still waited with a warm smile and greeted me with a hug. He treated me like family immediately and I felt like I had arrived home.
When Nori took me to the kaikan of Asociación México Japonesa for the first time, I was shocked by the warmth of the greetings from complete strangers. Even though these 20 or so young Nikkei came from a completely different culture than mine, I felt an immediate connection through our shared Japanese heritage—like coming home to a family I never knew existed.
Vibra Joven: Finding My Nikkei Community
I had no idea what to expect from Vibra Joven, an annual camp in Mexico where Nikkei from across the Americas come for a week. Seeing 70 young Nikkei gathered together was incredible. Some had both Japanese parents while others only had one Japanese great-grandparent, but everyone would learn to be equally proud to be there representing the Nikkei community. We were all 100% Nikkei and were brought together by something we shared yet hadn't chosen.
The workshops and discussions at Vibra Joven weren't just about cultural activities; they were about reflecting on what being Nikkei meant to each of us. We talked about our family immigration stories and even role played the hardships our grandparents went through.
We talked about how we maintained traditions across generations and the challenges we faced in preserving our identity while fully embracing our home countries. Hearing stories from participants across Mexico, Peru, and Colombia made me realize that the Nikkei experience was much more diverse and complex than I had ever imagined.
What surprised me the most were the random conversations that emerged outside of activities at 1:00 a.m. Whether we were debating hayashi versus curry or comparing the similarities and differences of the guitar and shamisen, I was surrounded by people who simply understood these references or were genuinely curious about learning more. There was this shared excitement about discovering new aspects of our Japanese heritage that I had never experienced before.
Understanding My Place in the Global Nikkei Story
Through Vibra Joven, I learned so much about Mexican Nikkei history, and it quickly showed me how little I knew about US Nikkei history. In a TUA (tu actividad) called Ojiichan Simulator, we learned what Japanese immigrants experienced in Mexico. Many participants had grandparents who immigrated to Mexico in the early 1900s for agricultural work and faced different challenges, encountered different forms of discrimination, and developed different strategies for cultural preservation than Japanese Americans did.
Listening to these stories made me reflect deeply on my own family's journey, realizing how little I truly knew about Japanese American history. School had barely taught me about US Japanese history, so Latin American Japanese history was completely off the table.
This actividad and other similar ones fundamentally changed how I view my identity as a Japanese American. Before coming to Mexico, my idea of being Nikkei was limited to my family's specific experience. I had no idea about the richness and diversity of Nikkei communities worldwide or how connected I could feel to people who shared my heritage despite growing up in completely different circumstances.
The most profound realization came during a reflection session where we discussed what being Nikkei meant to each of us. I found myself articulating thoughts about my identity that I had never been able to express before. Seeing how Mexican Nikkei had developed their own approaches to these universal Nikkei challenges gave me a new appreciation for the diversity within our global community.
Conclusion: A Broader Understanding of Home
My time in Mexico taught me that being Nikkei means being part of a continuing story that spans countries and generations. Each Nikkei community has created its own ways of preserving its Japanese heritage while also bringing in local culture, and through a global exchange likeVibra Joven, we can further push and learn what it means to be Nikkei.
This experience showed me that heritage isn't just about the past—it's about what we choose to do with that in the present and future. I’ve learned that being Nikkei means understanding our ancestors’ history and their courage to leave Japan and lead a new life in a foreign land. Being Nikkei means recognizing that we’re part of a global family that isn’t just connected by heritage, but by shared values, experiences, and ways of seeing the world.
I'm grateful to have discovered this larger community through Vibra Joven and excited about my ongoing journey as part of the global Nikkei story. My experiences in Mexico didn't just show me a new country—it showed me a new way of understanding home, identity, and belonging that will stay with me for life.
© 2025 Xavier Nishikawa
