I’m a Yonsei, occasional artist and writer, and full-time Digital Program Manager at the Japanese American National Museum. I was born in Los Angeles and have lived in Southern California almost my entire life. I am fluent in English, can understand about 80% of conversational Japanese, and don’t know any Spanish or Portuguese (although after having worked on Discover Nikkei for so long, would like to learn someday). I love working in Little Tokyo and living in Gardena. Both areas give me wonderful access to Japanese/Nikkei food, community, and culture. I bowl in a Nikkei league once a week, and spend my free time eating, sleeping, playing on my phone and computer, rooting for the Dodgers, watching TV and reading, spending time with family and friends, and traveling. I love working on Discover Nikkei and learning about so many different Nikkei experiences around the world!

My name is Manuel Alejandro Pérez Morales, but everyone knows me as Manuel Okata. I was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. I studied visual arts at the Benny Moré Academy of Arts and then at the University of the Arts of Cuba in Havana, where I graduated with a degree in Stage Design in 2020. Since I was a child, I've been closely involved with the Nikkei community with my family. I think I connect with my Nikkei identity in my daily life, even in the projects I create. It's part of who I am, and I'm proud of it. In my work, I try to fuse my cultural roots, just like I am: a mix of various nationalities and identities. Fun facts: I love all Japanese food except natto. I especially like ramen, sushi, and Japanese curry.

Karen Kawaguchi is a writer based in New York City. She was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a Nisei father from Seattle. Her dad served in the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Service while his family was incarcerated at Minidoka. Karen and her family moved to the U.S. in the late 1950’s, living mostly in the Chicago area. In 1967, they moved to Okinawa where she went to Kubasaki High School. After attending Wesleyan University (CT), she lived in Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Seattle. She recently retired as an editor in educational publishing, having worked for Heinemann, Pearson, and other leading publishers. Karen began contributing articles to the Discover Nikkei website earlier this year, including pieces for Inspire Forward: Nikkei Heroes Under 30 and an article about the importance of preserving and sharing family history. She volunteers for Literacy Partners (adult ESL) and enjoys going to Japan Society, art museums, and botanical gardens. She feels fortunate to be able to draw deeply from the three cultures in her life: Japanese, American, and Japanese-American.

I am a member of the Evangelical Holiness Church of Brazil, where I have many friends of Japanese origin. Sometimes within the Church I participate in the choir singing praises in Japanese. I really enjoy Japanese cuisine.

Writer, Journalist and Author specializing in multicultural themes, art, politics, satire, comedy and popular culture for newspapers, books, radio, the web and television. Perhaps my greatest influence as a writer stems from my background of being half Japanese on my mother's side and Russian-Jewish on my father's side, which has inspired me to be more empathetic, interested and passionate about mixed race cultures and the varied human experience. Raised in both Hawaii and Los Angeles by parents who are artists and former professors, I was exposed to a rich cultural and academic experience that still feeds my inspiration to create new work and continually progress and grow as a "Hapa" artist. Some of my articles are featured in the Japanese- American National Museum exhibit entitled "Hapa-Japan, Visible and Invisible". Currently I am writing two books about my mixed racial identity; one book will be a compilation of short humorous essays, while the other will be a novel about the 442nd Infantry. Some of my articles can be read here on this wonderful site, DiscoverNikkei.org.