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)

Kosaki,Richard

Growing up in Waikiki

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

Hirabayashi,Roy

The philosophy of playing Taiko

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

(Jerome Charles White Jr.),Jero

Learning Japanese traditions by observing his mother and grandmother

(b. 1981) Enka Singer

Mizuki,Peter

Japanese wife with American citizenship

Sansei Japanese American living in Japan and Kendo practioner

Kogiso,Mónica

Nihongo gakko - Preserving Japanese culture (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

Mizuki,Peter

Not wanting to stand out as a foreigner

Sansei Japanese American living in Japan and Kendo practioner

Yamasaki,Frank

Have compassion for all of humanity

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

Kogiso,Mónica

Identity crisis (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

(Jerome Charles White Jr.),Jero

Never sang Enka outside the family

(b. 1981) Enka Singer

Kansuma,Fujima

Both Japanese and American identities though Japanese dance

(1918-2023) Nisei Japanese kabuki dancer

Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Results of being more American than Japanese

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

(Jerome Charles White Jr.),Jero

Trying to convey the meaning of the songs

(b. 1981) Enka Singer

Endo,Kenny

Internship on a Native American reservation in Arizona

(b.1952) Master drummer, artistic director of the Taiko Center of the Pacific

Ota,Vince

Different tension between East Coast and Los Angeles

Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan