Norma Chie Wakizaka

@Normachie_1967

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Norma Chie Wakizaka grew up in the countryside of São Paulo, among guava trees, streams, farms and ranches. Her ancestors came from Japan and she has distant Ainu ancestry. They wandered from Japan to China, the Philippines, Siberia, Argentina and then arrived in Brazil. Her cultural and linguistic wealth made her a historian, writer and teacher. She writes to make visible the memories of those who make life more beautiful. Her Instagram is @chienorma.

Updated November 2024

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Nov. 26, 2024 • Norma Chie Wakizaka

I was born in the interior of the state of São Paulo, 600 km to the northwest, in the backlands of São Paulo. From the capital, there is a road that goes up and down through the vast green hills of sugarcane and cattle farms. After Bauru, the road goes straight up to the sky. A place that is always hot, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 40 degrees. I am a descendant of Japanese immigrants, whose ancestors left Japan …