Interviews
Initial struggles with the language barrier (Japanese)
(Japanese) [Learning the] language was the first thing. It was all about the words. For the laundry job, we did all of the cleaning work, but my father had hired people for customer service. My father did the washing, and I did all of the ironing in the back room, since I didn’t understand any Spanish. At my father’s uncle’s store, I was in charge of the deliveries, so I ended up learning phrases like “anque sea un poco” (even just a little), or “anque sea mitad” (even at least half), in order to receive payment for the deliveries.
Date: November 28, 2006
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Interviewer: Takeshi Nishimura, Ricardo Hokama
Contributed by: Centro Nikkei Argentino
Explore More Videos
The various realities of Nikkei in Latin America (Spanish)
(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman
Tango makes him to stay in Argentina (Spanish)
(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist
To think in one language and live in another (Spanish)
Sansei Argentinean
Decision to settle in Argentina after WWII (Spanish)
(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean
The myth of the sacrifice of immigrants (Spanish)
(b. 1962) Peruvian Poet, Okinawan descendant
Working tirelessly after the war (Japanese)
(1928 - 2008) Drafted into both the Japanese Imperial Army and the U.S. Army.
A Lifestyle Using Both Japanese and Spanish (Japanese)
(b. 1929) President of Amano Museum
Working together in Okinawa using three languages
Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.
Mother founded Japanese language school in neighbors’ backyard
Sansei judge for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California
Her grandfather was pressured to teach Japanese
Sansei judge on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California