My changing identity depending on circumstances (Japanese)

Concentration camp from a Japanese mother’s point of view (Japanese) Why I got my American citizenship (Japanese) The reactions of others when I got my American citizenship (Japanese) My changing identity depending on circumstances (Japanese) Americanized values (Japanese) Traditional Japanese events for Japanese Americans (Japanese) Leaving for the States without telling my parents (Japanese)

Transcripts available in the following languages:

(Japanese) Identity, identity. In the end, I think I’m more Japanese. When I’m with other Japanese people and talking in Japanese, I feel like I’m connecting as a Japanese person. Then again, when I’m speaking in English, it seems like a switch flips inside of me, making me feel more American. Without that, I would never have made it this far in the working world. If I was always Japanese-like, being polite, always smiling, and nodding “yes, yes” to everyone around, there’s no way I could have moved forward. So that’s why I believe that, depending on the circumstances, some people switch and change their identity.

Date: March 1, 2007
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Yoko Nishimura
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum