Marta Marenco

Marta Marenco was born the youngest of eight children in 1945 to Tatsuzo and Esther Tomihisa. Her father died when she was about to turn nine years old. Her mother was a descendant of the Genoese. They lived in northern Argentina, eventually emigrating to Buenos Aires with her brothers and sisters to find jobs and raise families. Her husband is Argentine, a veterinarian. They have two children living in Mexico and are now enjoying retirement.

Updated September 2015

Stories from This Author

Nikkei Chronicles #8—Nikkei Heroes: Trailblazers, Role Models, and Inspirations

Brief story of my idol

May 27, 2019 • Marta Marenco

I met George Chinen when I was beginning my adolescence. He had been born on the ship in which his family was traveling to Argentina, while it was already sailing within the shelf of Argentine territory, for which he was declared an Argentine citizen. His father was Shigeo Chinen, a prominent member of the Japanese community, from Okinawa, who became president of that association, with very powerful social and political connections. His intense social life related him to figures from …

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Nikkei Chronicles #7—Nikkei Roots: Digging into Our Cultural Heritage

Chinese Food

July 2, 2018 • Marta Marenco

My father arrived from the East to Argentina, in the first decade of the 20th century. At that time, Japan did not stand out as the world power it is now. He was a poor immigrant, fleeing a country at constant war, expansionist, dominated by feudal lords who ignored the lower classes. That may be why he fell so spontaneously in love with our country, so generous and, even in those times, so open to immigration. When my father married …

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The rice bowl

June 8, 2016 • Marta Marenco

At ten years old, the world revolved inside my home... I always imagined that everything that happened in my life was what happened in every house on the planet. I was convinced that people laughed on the same occasions, liked the same music, got sad in similar circumstances and even ate foods identical to those on our table... Even considering the uniqueness of my home, we lived in a town in Argentina, my father was a Japanese Buddhist and my …

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Jesus and Buddha

Jan. 15, 2016 • Marta Marenco

I was the youngest of a large family. When I was born, my parents were already old enough to be grandparents. So I grew up with the advantages of having two calm and wise people on hand who had learned from their life experiences. My brothers and sisters were somewhat older than me, so they acted like my parents. I was surrounded by numerous adults who took care of me and guided me through life with unending patience. Moreover, in …

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Nikkei Chronicles #4—Nikkei Family: Memories, Traditions, and Values

Father’s Adventures

Sept. 15, 2015 • Marta Marenco

Every afternoon my father, Tatsuzo Tomihisa, sat on the sidewalk in the doorway of our house. He observed the street in silence, but the kids from the neighborhood came to see him right away, as if they’d been waiting for him. He greeted them with a smile, since he loved children and he patiently shared all his stories with us. Because the land of his birth was so far away, we all wanted to know how he had crossed that …