Interviews
Sudden acceptance in Japanese society
So now I’m going into my fifth year. And I think to myself, I want just one fight. I’m just going to try and fight this. I get into the fight, and up until then, I was considered a gaijin, a foreigner, a outsider.
And I thought because I had so many bad experiences being a outsider in Japan trying to get a visa, trying to live, trying to buy a car, everything gets so difficult when you’re not Japanese. I was really resentful for that. So in my first fight, I had red, white, and blue shorts in my first two or three fights, I think it was—or four fights—to resemble that I’m an American. I’m not Japanese. I had a real bad resentment towards Japan because of how I was treated.
So I got into the ring, beat up my opponent really good. The press just took to me like that. All of a sudden, I’m Japanese. I get a whole page, color page, in the magazine about my fight. And now I’m thinking, I can’t quit now because of this publicity. I got to do one more. And one more becomes two. One more becomes three, four. And then I’m on my fifth fight. And now I’m changing my thinking. I’m thinking, “Man, am I this good? Am I really good?” I want to see where I can go in the world.
Now, I’m 13 years here.
Date: October 14, 2003
Location: Saitama, Japan
Interviewer: Art Nomura
Contributed by: Art Nomura, Finding Home.
Explore More Videos
On the Importance of Role Models
(b. 1942) The first Asian American woman judge
Defining "Nikkei" through lineage and community involvement (Spanish)
Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher
The term Nikkei reflects ties to Japan (Spanish)
Nisei Paraguayan, Researcher
The reactions of others when I got my American citizenship (Japanese)
Shin-Issei from Gifu. Recently received U.S. citizenship
Americanized values (Japanese)
Shin-Issei from Gifu. Recently received U.S. citizenship
The multicultural perspective
(b.1960) Third-generation taiko drummer, leader of Maui Taiko
A personality fit for Argentina (Japanese)
Okinawan. Vice Principal of Japanese language school in Buenos Aires
The Nikkei Integration into society (Spanish)
(b. 1962) Peruvian Poet, Okinawan descendant
Does a Nikkei culture exist? (Spanish)
(b. 1962) Peruvian Poet, Okinawan descendant
The Okinawan idiosyncrasies (Spanish)
(b. 1962) Peruvian Poet, Okinawan descendant