Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1180/

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!


families generations immigrants immigration Issei Japan migration

Date: February 3, 2010

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Eiko Masuyama, Carole Fujita, Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Margaret Kuroiwa is the third daughter of Dr. Daishiro Kuroiwa from Saga-ken, Japan and Agnes Haruyo Ogawa Kuroiwa. Her father was a prominent Issei physician who worked at the Turner Street Southern California Japanese Hospital, and was one of the five doctors, along with Dr. Tashiro, to file the lawsuit against the State of California. His practice was in Boyle Heights and in the Taul Building in Little Tokyo. He also treated tuberculosis patients at the Monrovia Sanitarium. She and her 4 sisters were born at the new Japanese Hospital on First and Fickett. (April 11, 2010)

Toshiro Konishi
en
ja
es
pt
Konishi,Toshiro

Peru Representative vs. Japan Representative (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

en
ja
es
pt
Toshiro Konishi
en
ja
es
pt
Konishi,Toshiro

Thoughts on Japan (Japanese)

(b. 1962) Japanese restaurant owner and chef in Peru

en
ja
es
pt
Jimmy Murakami
en
ja
es
pt
Murakami,Jimmy

Losing his sister in camp

(1933 – 2014) Japanese American animator

en
ja
es
pt
Frances Midori Tashiro Kaji
en
ja
es
pt
Kaji,Frances Midori Tashiro

Discrimination for Nisei doctors

(1928–2016) Daughter of an Issei doctor 

en
ja
es
pt
Frances Midori Tashiro Kaji
en
ja
es
pt
Kaji,Frances Midori Tashiro

Making patients feel comfortable by using patient's regional dialects

(1928–2016) Daughter of an Issei doctor 

en
ja
es
pt
Kathryn Doi Todd
en
ja
es
pt
Todd,Kathryn Doi

On Getting the Call from J. Anthony Kline

(b. 1942) The first Asian American woman judge

en
ja
es
pt
Stan Sakai
en
ja
es
pt
Sakai,Stan

Family’s acceptance

(b. 1953) Cartoonist

en
ja
es
pt
Tamio Wakayama
en
ja
es
pt
Wakayama,Tamio

Father's Sacrifice

(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist

en
ja
es
pt
Terry Janzen
en
ja
es
pt
Janzen,Terry

Growing Up in Japan

(b. 1930) Half Japanese and grew up in both Japan and the United States.

en
ja
es
pt
Rose Ochi
en
ja
es
pt
Ochi,Rose

Fifty Years and Going Strong

(1938-2020) Japanese American attorney and civil rights activist

en
ja
es
pt
Rose Ochi
en
ja
es
pt
Ochi,Rose

Pop and Balls

(1938-2020) Japanese American attorney and civil rights activist

en
ja
es
pt
Harunori Oda
en
ja
es
pt
Oda,Harunori

Getting started in America

(1927-2016) Shin-Issei businessman

en
ja
es
pt
Hachiro Ohtomo
en
ja
es
pt
Ohtomo,Hachiro

Facing discrimination in America (Japanese)

(b. 1936) Shin-issei welding business owner

en
ja
es
pt
George Takei
en
ja
es
pt
Takei,George

George's Mother & Brad

(b. 1937) Actor, Activist

en
ja
es
pt
Willie Ito
en
ja
es
pt
Ito,Willie

Parents

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

en
ja
es
pt