Maya Kochiyama

Maya Kochiyama is a yonsei/gosei Japanese American from Torrance, CA.  She is currently entering her third year at UC Berkeley as an Integrative Biology major. This summer, through the Nikkei Community Internship, she is the Discover Nikkei intern at the Japanese American National Museum.

Updated July 2011

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An Unforgettable Beginning

First of all, I would like to thank my awesome supervisors at the Japanese American National Museum, Vicky Murakami-Tsuda and Yoko Nishimura, as well as all of the warm and friendly staff and volunteers that I’ve gotten the pleasure to meet.  I also want to thank Stacy Toyota, the SoCal NCI coordinator this year, all those who helped run this incredible NCI program, and my fellow intern family. I have absolutely loved being part of the Nikkei Community Internship this summer!  It has been a culturally, educationally, and emotionally rich experience that has opened my eyes to …

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Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute: At the Heart of South Bay’s Japanese American Community

The Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute (GVJCI) is a non-profit community organization in Gardena, CA that caters to the Japanese American community in the South Bay of LA. Their mission is to “serve the needs of the local Japanese American community through educational, cultural, and social programs that share the Japanese and Japanese American cultural heritage.” Classes and programs are offered to participants ranging in age from children to seniors, where you can learn how to become a kendo master, jam with fellow ukulele students, or brush up on your Japanese speaking …

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