Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/229/

First work in America (Japanese)

(Japanese) I first went to San Pedro and worked in a cannery. Then I got on a boat for Washington to do tuna fishing which I did until I was 29 years old. I made 8000 yen (dollars?) and went home to Japan. When I went home…. My family had a grocery store. I said I was going home, and my mother fell and broke her leg and so was in bed. Ever since I was a child, my family had a store that sold everything.


aquatic sports families fishing migration

Date: October 14 & 17, 2004

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Eriko Yamamoto

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

Interviewee Bio

Kazuo Funai, 104-year-old pioneer Issei from Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, owned and operated a market on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. In 1941, prior to the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Funai had made arrangements to move to Tokyo to set up a business enterprise. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he was unable to travel to Japan and was financially ruined. In addition, he and his family were incarcerated in an American concentration camp. He survived these obstacles to later start several successful businesses.

Mr. Funai passed away on Thursday, March 3, 2005 at the age of 105. (August 16, 2005)

Kawakami,Barbara
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Kawakami,Barbara

Doing chores

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

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Ariyoshi,George
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Ariyoshi,George

Spending time with children

(b.1926) Democratic politician and three-term Governor of Hawai'i

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Ariyoshi,Jean Hayashi
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Ariyoshi,Jean Hayashi

Getting married

Former First Lady of Hawai'i

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Hirabayashi,James
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Hirabayashi,James

Family interrelations between mother and father

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

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Kawakami,Barbara
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Kawakami,Barbara

Going back to Hawaii

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

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Kawakami,Barbara
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Kawakami,Barbara

Picture brides and karifufu

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

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Kawakami,Barbara
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Kawakami,Barbara

Clothes of plantation workers

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

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Kawakami,Barbara
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Kawakami,Barbara

Brother leaves for war, survival

An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.

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Kochiyama,Yuri
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Kochiyama,Yuri

Terminal Island / San Pedro

(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.

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Yokoyama,Wayne Shigeto
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Yokoyama,Wayne Shigeto

Food growing up

(b.1948) Nikkei from Southern California living in Japan.

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Adachi,Pat
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Adachi,Pat

Relationship with my father

(b. 1920) Incarcerated during World War II. Active member of the Japanese Canadian community

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Matsumoto,Roy H.
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Matsumoto,Roy H.

Kibei schoolchildren in Hiroshima, Japan

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

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Kanemoto,Marion Tsutakawa
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Kanemoto,Marion Tsutakawa

Mother's immigration to U.S. as a treaty merchant

(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.

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Shinki,Venancio
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Shinki,Venancio

Iron discipline at home (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

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Wakabayashi,Kimi
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Wakabayashi,Kimi

Arranged marriage

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

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