Lloyd Kajikawa

Lloyd Kajikawa is retired and spends his time between Los Angeles and Kauai. He is an educator and formerly worked at the Japanese American National Museum, Little Tokyo Service Center, and in public education. He has authored numerous children’s leveled reading books and essays about the Japanese American experience.

August 2014

Stories from This Author

Nikkei Chronicles #3—Nikkei Names: Taro, John, Juan, João?

What’s in a Nikkei Name?

Aug. 1, 2014 • Lloyd Kajikawa

Writing assignment: an essay about Nikkei Names. A cinch, until I asked myself the question, “What is a Nikkei name?” As I understand it, Nikkei is the term we are using these days for Japanese in the diaspora? If so, should I write about Japanese names? That would be a short essay, unless I made a list of all the Japanese names I know—actually, it would still be a short essay. So, if not “Japanese” names, then I’ll write about …