Interviews
About her father
Oh my father was a typical Issei I would say. Number 1: he was super strict. And yet - that’s only one facet of his personality. But he did care for us, he was a very hard worker and I would say to the end of his life, he was super ethical. And so he had strength of character and he had a very good sense of humor. I used to go, I mean, he was in…was it Taul Building on First and San Pedro? Well, he had an office on a corner on the third floor and a lot of times I would ask him if he wanted me to clean his office, so I would go and clean his office and then children would come and he would be laughing and gushing over them and all this and that and he was really friendly, etc. and he would give them something later on and I would come home and say, “gee momma, how come papa is so nice to kids and he’s always telling us that hmph!” You know, and his favorite word to me was “baka!”
Date: February 3, 2010
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Eiko Masuyama, Carole Fujita, Yoko Nishimura
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Spending time with children
(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i
Little interaction with parents
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Gordon's parents' experience in prison
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Going back to Hawaii
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Clothes of plantation workers
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Surviving after father's death
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Washing for Filipino bachelors
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Brother leaves for war, survival
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Doing chores
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Wife's family in Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
New Year's food
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Food growing up
(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.