Interviews
Ways of Fitting In
So growing up in this environment of friends who spoke English and we started speaking English, music, sports, going to the library. The school was providing the, part of the assimilation process -- a lot of it, not part. Much of it. Movies, all provided this input in becoming American. And so it was not only the schools and meeting these kids.
So when I walked to school, it was easy enough to become friends with non-Japanese because we talked about the latest movie you saw, the cowboy movies or whatever, and what we heard on the radio. Newspapers, of course, what little we read in the newspapers. So we became, because of our input from schools, et cetera, radio, it didn't take long for us to be a part of a, a larger group, yes, culturally but not socially, you know.
Date: February 18, 2002
Location: Washington, US
Interviewer: Alice Ito, John Pai
Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.
Explore More Videos
First day of school
An expert researcher and scholar on Japanese immigrant clothing.
Eisa: Modernity and Tradition (Spanish)
(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru
Studying in Japan before working in the US
(1940-2016) Issei Landscape Architect
Feeling empowered by taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Sense of lineage between Sansei and Issei through Taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
To be a Nikkei is a confluence of cultures (Spanish)
(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru
Image of Americans
Sansei from Hawaii living in Japan. Teacher and businesswoman.
Japanese influence growing up
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Diverse membership in San Jose Taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko
Looking at your country from the outside
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Wife's family in Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
Lack of notion of citizenship in Japan
(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.
Generational Change (Spanish)
(b. 1974) Director of Ryukyu Matsuri Daiko in Peru
Lack of language skills
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.
Preserving traditional Japanese culture
(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.