Nikkei Chronicles #2—Nikkei+: Stories of Mixed Language, Traditions, Generations & Race
Being Nikkei is inherently a state of mixed traditions and cultures. For many Nikkei communities and families around the world, it is common to use both chopsticks and forks; mix Japanese words with Spanish; or celebrate the New Year’s Eve countdown with champagne and Oshogatsu with ozoni and other Japanese traditions.
This series introduces stories explore how Nikkei around the world perceive and experience being multiracial, multinational, multilingual, and multigenerational.
Each piece submitted to the Nikkei+ anthology was eligible for selection as our readers’ favorites.
Here are their favorite stories in each language.
- English:
Diary of a Mad Hapa Judo Girl
By Chanda Ishisaka - Japanese:
Kokichi-san
By Laura Honda-Hasegawa - Spanish:
The Mabuyá or the Earthquake that Brings Good Luck: Some Traditions of my Oba that are now memories of my childhood
By Milagros Tsukayama Shinzato - Portuguese:
The Candle That Burns Out
By Eduardo Goo Nakashima
Stories from this series
Documentary Explores Being “Hafu” in Japan
Aug. 6, 2013 • Susan Miyagi McCormac
Daddy: Check the box that says “Caucasian.”Me: Really? I didn’t know because I’m not completely Caucasian. What about mom?Daddy: The child’s race is determined by the father’s side. That conversation between my father and me took place when I was around eight or nine years old. It was the first time I filled out official school paperwork on my own. It was also the first time I gave any thought to my race—both of …
4-Sei What? That’s Mixed Up
July 19, 2013 • Sean Hamamoto
At home, I speak Japanese. At school, I speak English. And at times, I speak both. The two languages are thrown in a verbal potpourri few can understand. I am a bilingual, fourth generation Japanese-American. But English is my favorite subject. As you can probably tell, my English and Japanese are often まざってる.1 いつも、 same sentenceで I use both languages.2 Upon typing the previous two sentences, I realized how confusing this concoction can be. It’s easy to hear, but definitely …
Karami: A new product that’s an old Japanese American twist on salsa
June 27, 2013 • Gil Asakawa
Forget Pace Picante Sauce, which used to make a big deal of being made in San Antonio instead of phony salsas made in New York City. Forget San Antonio as well as New York City. Look no further than Pueblo and Boulder, Colorado. Boulder-based entrepreneur Kei Izawa and his partner, Jason Takaki, are launching a new product this weekend that really isn’t new at all. Karami is a Japanese American twist on salsa that tastes pretty great on a lot …
Cross-Culture A La Carte
May 28, 2013 • Edward Moreno
—Daddy, she said shyly, I don’t feel like cooking this Sunday….—Of course, I answered. Would you like to eat at the cafeteria at Fort Sam?—Oh, I crave for something reallydee-licious, her qualifier for something she would truly enjoy.—Ok, I’ll look for something…we can afford. “Craving for something dee-licious” was a sophisticated Japanese way to express the need for a little medetai.1 Now, I had to find a place where the four of us, my wife and our two little girls, …
Un Alcalde oriundo de Okinawa
Dec. 6, 2013 • Luis Takanobu Shimabukuro , Seitoku Shimabukuro
Navigating in a small motorboat without stopping from the town of Pucallpa (located south of Loreto Departamento) up the Ucayali river to the Huanuco Departamento - under normal conditions - takes up to 4 hours to reach the mouth of the Pachitea river and an additional 2 hours furrowing to reach Honoria town. This town is located on the left bank of the Pachitea river. When I visited for the first time, there were approximately 200 houses with a population …
キムチとカブとニンニク
Oct. 14, 2013 • Hidemitsu Miyamura
東北レシーフェに用事ができたので飛行機の便を予約した。サンパウロへ帰る前、ブラジリアに寄る事にした。そこには昔からの知り合いがいるので、サンパウロから何か珍しいものをおみやげに持って行くことにした。その友人がサンパウロへいた頃、私たちはよく日系人が経営するゴルフの練習所へ行き、キムチをつまみにビールを飲みながら汗を流していたのを思い出し、近くの韓国食料品にあるキムチとカブの赤唐辛子漬けとニンニクを持っていくことにした。 しかし、店でキムチとカブの赤唐辛子漬けとニンニク…