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Baptized by Perón (Japanese)

(Japanese) When [Juan] Perón became president, we called over my mother, younger sister, and two younger brothers [to Argentina]. The airplane landed at Morón Airport. Later, the children were baptized by Perón and his wife at the Casa Rosada, the president’s residence1. There were a lot of Japanese people there. Evita, [along with the president,] the two of them were pouring water over the heads. There were so many people, even some parent-child pairs getting baptized [together]. It took up, for example, about an entire city block. We were all the way up in the front; my 4th eldest son was baptized right in front of Perón and Evita. At the Casa Rosada... no, not the Casa Rosada, I meant at the president’s residence. At the Olivios (Quinta de Olivios, the president’s residence).

* Casa Rosada is actually the offices of the president of Argentina.


Date: November 28, 2006

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Interviewer: Takeshi Nishimura, Ricardo Hokama

Contributed by: Centro Nikkei Argentino

Interviewee Bio

Ryoko Hokama was born in November 30th, 1917 in Heira of Ōsato Village, Okinawa. He studied at the former Dai-Ichi (First) Junior High School. Ran a laundry service in Rosario City, Santa Fe, and a flower nursery in Moreno City of the Pacheco district in Buenos Aires. Currently he lives in Caseros with his son’s family, who owns a flower shop. (November 28, 2006)

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