Alice Aiko Weiner

Alice Aiko Okamoto Weiner, a Japanese Sansei/Nisei, grew up in Oxnard, California. She spent many weekends in the West Los Angeles area where most of the Okamoto family members lived, such as Bachan, uncles, aunties, and cousins. She remembers BBQs, playing cards like Hana or poker, and staying up late watching old movies. The Okamoto family was involved in the Venice Buddhist Temple community. While growing up, Alice also visited her mother’s Masumoto family in Ono-Hiroshima, Japan. Alice and her mother would visit Bachan, Jichan, ojisans, obachans, and cousins. She worked for over 25 years as an elementary school educator in Ventura, California. Now retired, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying physically active, volunteering with organizations like Food Share, crafting, reading, cooking, baking, and gardening.

Updated November 2024

Stories from This Author

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Nikkei Chronicles #13—Nikkei Names 2: Grace, Graça, Graciela, Megumi?

The Legacy of Names

Nov. 11, 2024 • Alice Aiko Weiner

When my first grandchild was born a year ago, I didn’t know that our daughter and her husband were planning on giving him an American first name and a Japanese middle name, just like we had given to our daughters. My husband and I aren’t the kind of parents that demanded that they follow the tradition of an American first and Japanese middle name, but when told of this plan, we were delighted. On top of that, it touched me …

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