Interviews
Growing up in two cultures
Oh, you know, both sides. I mean I went to Japanese school when I was little, you know, I still speak a little bit of Japanese. I can understand it when I’m walking by people that speak Japanese, for the most part if they’re speaking slowly enough. And I got…and growing up in Hawaii, I was always around my grandmother. Sometimes my grandfather, although he was really busy. So you know, I got a lot of that culture in Obon dance and pounding mochi. That’s part of my life also.
Every summer and every winter I was back east with my family. With my mom’s family. With my cousins – clambakes, the museum in Boston, Red Sox games. I mean you name it, I think I got…I think all of us – myself, my brother Patrick, and my sister Alana – all enjoyed sort of the best of those two worlds. Because my parents were so generous and able to provide that to us. Those trips back east were important.
Date: June 1, 2006
Location: Hawai'i, US
Interviewer: Akemi Kikumura Yano
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Japanese American community life
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Starting over after the war: denial of all things Japanese
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Have compassion for all of humanity
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Refusing to use a Chinese name to identify as Asian American
(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist
Difficulty responding to the question "What are you?"
(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist
Differing responses by gender to the Hapa Project
(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist
Japanese Americans are more aware of their Hapa identity
(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist