Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/766/

His first jobs in Argentina (Spanish)

(Spanish) I didn’t have any money to study Spanish. As I couldn’t speak Spanish but had to live, I didn’t have any money. Therefore, they suggested that I become a flower grower…[in that job] Spanish wasn’t necessary. Then I went, they hired me, but I lasted thirty minutes: I didn’t like being cooped up all day…I returned once again to Buenos Aires. It was the lesser evil to have found an Argentine job that forced me to speak Spanish…so that I could listen to and understand Spanish. I entered as a manager of a large hardware store. There I made many mistakes.


Argentina languages Spaniards

Date: February 23, 2007

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Interviewer: Takeshi Nishimura, Ricardo Hokama

Contributed by: Centro Nikkei Argentino

Interviewee Bio

Takagi Kazuomi was born in Japan on March 27, 1925, in the Mie province. He arrived in Argentina as a tourist and never returned to Japan. By chance he started out in journalism, a profession that provided employment for more than fifty years on radio and in the graphic arts. Today, at eighty-one years old, he continues to fervently work as a journalist for the newspaper of the Japanese collectivity, La Plata Hochi (Japanese Section), including acting stints in various forms of publicity. He passed away on November 10, 2014 at age 89. (January 2021)

James Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,James

Little interaction with parents

(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline

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Jane Aiko Yamano
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Yamano,Jane Aiko

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.

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Jane Aiko Yamano
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Yamano,Jane Aiko

Acculturation

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

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Jane Aiko Yamano
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Yamano,Jane Aiko

Japanese are more accustomed to foreigners

(b.1964) California-born business woman in Japan. A successor of her late grandmother, who started a beauty business in Japan.

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Roy H. Matsumoto
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Matsumoto,Roy H.

Difficulties understanding different Japanese dialects

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

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Richard Kosaki
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Kosaki,Richard

Teaching at the military language school during World War II

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

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Art Shibayama
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Shibayama,Art

Learning English upon discovering that family could not return to Peru

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

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Art Shibayama
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Shibayama,Art

Playing baseball along with American Nisei and Kibei

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

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Kimi Wakabayashi
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Wakabayashi,Kimi

Her early life in Canada

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

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Mitsuo Ito
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Ito,Mitsuo

Japanese school

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

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Roy Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,Roy

Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

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Mónica Kogiso
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Kogiso,Mónica

Nikkei means fusion (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

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Mónica Kogiso
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Kogiso,Mónica

History of her family's immigration (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

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Mónica Kogiso
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Kogiso,Mónica

Jobs for Japanese Argentines (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

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Mónica Kogiso
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Kogiso,Mónica

Nihongo gakko - Preserving Japanese culture (Spanish)

(b. 1969) Former president of Centro Nikkei Argentino.

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