Luis Hirata Mishima was born in Lima, Peru, on January 19, 1939. He attended the private elementary school, Santa Beatriz-Jishuryo, and studied high school at the National School of Melitón Carbajal.  He graduated from the National University of San Marcos with a degree in accounting.  Upon finishing his studies, he opened his own accounting firm. Subsequently he joined a transnational Japanese firm where he worked for thirty-seven years, moving up the ladder to become Executive Director. He retired at sixty-five.

Updated December 2009

Born in Chile on August 8, 1950, Roberto Hirose was educated in the local schools but also received Japanese influence through his family, through other Japanese living in Chile, and even by those Japanese visiting the country.  Upon graduating from the University of Chile with a degree in Engineering, he received a fellowship from Mombusho in Japan.  He remains connected to the wider Japanese and Nikkei worlds by participating actively in the Nikkei Panamerican Association, the Japanese Beneficence Society of Chile, and the Valparaíso Chapter of the Nikkei Corporation.

Updated December 2009

Misui Patrizia Kurita Oyamada is a Paraguayan and a third generation of Japanese descent.  Born and raised in Asunción, Paraguay, she studied Sociology and now works in the education office of the Federation of Japanese Associations of Paraguay.

Updated October 2009

Amelia Morimoto is coordinator and editor of the San Marcos Foundation - Japanese American National Museum Agreement, Discover Nikkei Project (2007-present). She is the author of the books: “ Japanese immigrants in Peru ” (Lima, 1979), “ Population of Japanese origin in Peru: Current profile” (Lima, 1991); “ Peru no Nihonjin Imin” (Tokyo, 1992) and “ The Japanese and their descendants in Peru” (Lima, 1999). She is co-author, among others, of the books: “ The Memory of the Eye. 100 years of Japanese Presence in Peru ” (Lima, 1999/with José Watanabe and Óscar Chambi) and “ When the East came to America. Contributions of Chinese, Japanese and Korean immigrants in Latin America and the Caribbean ”, Director of the study and editor (Washington DC, IDB, 2004).

Last updated September 2009

Ariel Takeda is a professor with a degree in Education. A Nisei, Takeda was born and raised in southern Chile. For six years, he has been director and writer of the newsletter “Nikkei Informative” for the Japanese Beneficence Society. In 2002, he was the primary author of the chapter on Japanese migration in the Encyclopedia of Japanese Descendants in the Americas: An Illustrated History of the Nikkei (AltaMira Press). In 2006, Takeda published the book, Anecdotario histórico: Japoneses Chilenos (primera mitad del siglo XX). He continues to research and write about Japanese culture. He is currently working on “Nikkei Chilenos – Segunda Mitad del Siglo XX” and the novel “El Nikkei – A la Sombra del Samurai.”

Updated November 2012

Student at the University of Lima’s Law School, former general coordinator of the Movement of Minors AELU, and member of the Lidercambio 2010 organization committee.

Updated October 2009