Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1430/

You can’t be loyal to two countries (Japanese)

(Japanese) It was right when Nakako was born, so…it must have been around 1954, still at the beginning of when people were getting American citizenship, when everyone over here was studying for the citizenship exams and things and making a lot of noise about it. I got mine right away, really quickly. I got citizenship early on.

I told my husband that I didn’t want to lose my Japanese citizenship, and his response was that for the most part people cannot be loyal to two countries. So, he said me, “Do you want to be a real Japanese or do you want to marry me and be an American? Decide on one.” So, I thought about it, and he was right. It would be pretty impossible to hold two citizenships, to be loyal to two countries. So, after thinking about it, I concluded that if that were that case I would get an American citizenship and discard my Japanese one.


citizenship identity

Date: January 26, 2012

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki, Yoko Nishimura

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

Interviewee Bio

Jean Hamako Schneider (former name: Amano) was born in 1925 in Yokohama.  In 1933, she went with her father, who was to run a business in Latin America, to Panama where she stayed for two years.  Her father remained in Panama after her, but came back to Japan in 1942 on a prisoner of war exchange ship.  While working at a radio station after the war, Hamako met Harry Schneider, who was stationed in Japan with the U.S. Military Intelligence Service (MIS).  In 1948, the two married in Japan, and, in 1950, Hamako left for America as a war bride.  After that, she gave birth to a daughter and quickly acquired American citizenship.  Currently, she lives in Encinitas, California.  (September 2014)

Mike Murase
en
ja
es
pt
Murase,Mike

Content Conflict

Community activist

en
ja
es
pt
Mike Murase
en
ja
es
pt
Murase,Mike

Camp Experiences

Community activist

en
ja
es
pt
Mike Murase
en
ja
es
pt
Murase,Mike

Staff and Struggles

Community activist

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

Postwar school-life

(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

On Challenging Institutions

(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
Tamio Wakayama
en
ja
es
pt
Wakayama,Tamio

Re-examining Identity

(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist

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

Defining "Nikkei"

(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist

en
ja
es
pt
Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
en
ja
es
pt
Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Unique Identity from Having Multiple Backgrounds

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

en
ja
es
pt
Robert T. Fujioka
en
ja
es
pt
Fujioka,Robert T.

Growing up Japanese in Hawaii

(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii

en
ja
es
pt
Kishi Bashi
en
ja
es
pt
Bashi,Kishi

On being Japanese and American

(b. 1975) Musician, composer, and songwriter

en
ja
es
pt
Kishi Bashi
en
ja
es
pt
Bashi,Kishi

His Shin-Issei parents

(b. 1975) Musician, composer, and songwriter

en
ja
es
pt
Michelle Yamashiro
en
ja
es
pt
Yamashiro,Michelle

Parents identification as Peruvian Okinawan

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

en
ja
es
pt
Michelle Yamashiro
en
ja
es
pt
Yamashiro,Michelle

Okinawan cultural appreciation

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

en
ja
es
pt
Michelle Yamashiro
en
ja
es
pt
Yamashiro,Michelle

Prejudice against Okinawans from mainland folks

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

en
ja
es
pt