Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/798/

Changing life styles of successive generations (Portuguese)

(Portuguese) Well, my life, my personal life, it’s, you know, I’d say that it’s pretty typical of a large part of the Japanese community in Brazil. So, my family, from the beginning, it’s interesting because I come from a family of fishermen in Japan. My grandfather came to Brazil and started growing cotton. Then later he switched to potatoes and grew potatoes. And then my father followed, my father has passed away, but my brothers continue in farming. We’re six, of six children, the three men are still in farming.

As for me, the oldest daughter, I left the interior, which has a community of more or less, the Japanese community there these days is somewhere around two hundred families, those that live in Itapetininga. But I came to São Paulo, I left for São Paulo in 1972. I never went back, I still live in São Paulo, right. Meaning, you could say that there was a whole phase, up until I was eighteen, when I lived in an agrarian community, in an interior community that was by and large rural. Afterwards, I came to São Paulo, I went to São Paulo, to study, I went to college. And there, I continued in the Japanese community.


Brazil identity

Date: October 7, 2005

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Ann Kaneko

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

Interviewee Bio

Célia Abe Oi was born in Itapetininga in 1950. Her grandparents had arrived in Brazil in 1929. Originally from a family of fishermen on the island of Atatajima, near the city of Hiroshima, upon their arrival they began working in the Brazilian countryside, initially in the cotton fields and later growing potatoes. Her parents and siblings also worked in agriculture. In 1968, she began studying History in college, and in 1979 completed her course in Journalism at the Cásper Líbero College. In the mid-1970s, she began working in the editorial room of the Portuguese section of the Diário Nippak newspaper. Célia contributed to various journals and publications tied to the Japanese-Brazilian community, until she became the director of the Museum of the History of Japanese Immigration in 1998. (July 26, 2006)

Antonio Shinkiti Shikota
en
ja
es
pt
Shikota,Antonio Shinkiti

Advantages of living in Japan (Portuguese)

(b. 1962) Japanese Brazilian owner of a Brazilian products store in Japan.

en
ja
es
pt
Antonio Shinkiti Shikota
en
ja
es
pt
Shikota,Antonio Shinkiti

Future of the Japanese Brazilian community in Japan (Portuguese)

(b. 1962) Japanese Brazilian owner of a Brazilian products store in Japan.

en
ja
es
pt
Antonio Shinkiti Shikota
en
ja
es
pt
Shikota,Antonio Shinkiti

Japanese Brazilians living in Oizumi (Portuguese)

(b. 1962) Japanese Brazilian owner of a Brazilian products store in Japan.

en
ja
es
pt
Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
en
ja
es
pt
Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Unique Identity from Having Multiple Backgrounds

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

en
ja
es
pt
Robert T. Fujioka
en
ja
es
pt
Fujioka,Robert T.

Growing up Japanese in Hawaii

(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii

en
ja
es
pt
Kishi Bashi
en
ja
es
pt
Bashi,Kishi

On being Japanese and American

(b. 1975) Musician, composer, and songwriter

en
ja
es
pt
Kishi Bashi
en
ja
es
pt
Bashi,Kishi

His Shin-Issei parents

(b. 1975) Musician, composer, and songwriter

en
ja
es
pt
Michelle Yamashiro
en
ja
es
pt
Yamashiro,Michelle

Parents identification as Peruvian Okinawan

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

en
ja
es
pt
Michelle Yamashiro
en
ja
es
pt
Yamashiro,Michelle

Okinawan cultural appreciation

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

en
ja
es
pt
Michelle Yamashiro
en
ja
es
pt
Yamashiro,Michelle

Prejudice against Okinawans from mainland folks

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

en
ja
es
pt
Michelle Yamashiro
en
ja
es
pt
Yamashiro,Michelle

American values she aligns with

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

en
ja
es
pt
Michelle Yamashiro
en
ja
es
pt
Yamashiro,Michelle

Working together in Okinawa using three languages

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

en
ja
es
pt
Mitsuye Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,Mitsuye

Expressing herself through poetry

(b. 1923) Japanese American poet, activist

en
ja
es
pt
Juan Alberto Matsumoto
en
ja
es
pt
Matsumoto,Juan Alberto

About Escobar (Spanish)

(b. 1962) Nisei Japanese Argentinian, currently residing in Japan

en
ja
es
pt
Monica Teisher
en
ja
es
pt
Teisher,Monica

Her definition of Nikkei

(b.1974) Japanese Colombian who currently resides in the United States

en
ja
es
pt