Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/320/

Interviews

Yokoyama,Wayne Shigeto

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

Being on the outside

It was interesting to be in a place where all these Japanese were because all these Japanese names on the stores, sometimes written in English and then…yeah it was very interesting. And then…well, let’s say everybody was about the same height as I was in those days. Now that’s changed. I suppose I didn’t feel out of place. At the same time, I’m not really Japanese. So I’m not going to try to fit into Japanese society as a Japanese. My background is different, my language is different, my culture, my sense of values…so some things are difficult to change. Although I found that this is an interesting country. But there’s a great difference between…I could never really be on the inside track in this kind of society. So I’m always on the outside. Just like I was at the Buddhist Journal. I was never really accepted in as a member. So I was always on the outside. I kind of like it. I’m much freer because I have no real obligations. I don’t have to answer for a lot of things because I am on the outside.


culture Finding Home (film) identity

Date: November 13, 2003

Location: Kyoto, Japan

Interviewer: Art Nomura

Contributed by: Art Nomura, Finding Home.

Interviewee Bio

Wayne Shigeto Yokoyama was born in Hawaii in 1948. His parents were both Kibei Nisei, but they never insisted that he learn Japanese. He moved to East Los Angeles, CA at the age of seven. He graduated from Roosevelt High School, then started at the University of California at Berkeley. After a year, however, he returned to Southern California and attended California State College in Los Angeles.

Mr. Yokoyama never thought about going to Japan until he was 31 years old. At the time, the Vietnam War was still going on. He did not want to go into the U.S. Army, so he decided to study Buddhism in Japan. After he earned his master’s degree, he worked for an English Buddhist magazine called Eastern Buddhist for over 20 years until the magazine was absorbed into the University system. Since then, he has been conducting research and trying to publish his work. He married a Japanese woman and has one daughter and one son. He lives in Kyoto. (November 13, 2003)

Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

Finding parallels through art

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

The Hapa Project

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Francis Y. Sogi
en
ja
es
pt
Sogi,Francis Y.

Defining the term Nikkei

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

Perceptions of uniqueness

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

Identity as a conscious ongoing process

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

Lessons learned from The Hapa Project

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

Japanese Americans are more aware of their Hapa identity

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

Discomfort at being labeled by others

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

Issues of identity outside of America

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

Imposing identity upon others

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Kip Fulbeck
en
ja
es
pt
Fulbeck,Kip

The right to say who you are

(b. 1965) filmmaker and artist

en
ja
es
pt
Alfredo Kato
en
ja
es
pt
Kato,Alfredo

What does Nikkei mean to you? (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

en
ja
es
pt
Kristi Yamaguchi
en
ja
es
pt
Yamaguchi,Kristi

Support from the Japanese American community

(b.1971) Professional figure skater and Olympic gold medalist.

en
ja
es
pt
Lorraine Bannai
en
ja
es
pt
Bannai,Lorraine

Heightened awareness of identity as a Japanese American

(b. 1955) Lawyer

en
ja
es
pt
Dale Minami
en
ja
es
pt
Minami,Dale

Reasons for conformity and competitiveness in Gardena, California

(b. 1946) Lawyer

en
ja
es
pt