Interviews

1. Gained appreciation of his multiracial heritage through participation in Nisei Relays

2. Attending Japanese school

3. Making a speech in Japanese

4. Talking with Grandmother

5. Growing up and identity

Morton,Johnnie

(b.1971) Professional football player.

Making a speech in Japanese

I was a communications major at USC and the first taste of giving a speech actually was in Japanese school. It was a lot of firsts for me as far as Japanese school goes. But that was my first opportunity to give a speech and I was really nervous and I went up and bowed to begin my speech totally in Japanese bowed again and it was over. At the end of the ceremony I got a trophy.

Japanese language schools language schools speeches

Date: February 7, 2000

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

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

Interviewee Bio

Johnnie James Morton, Jr. was born in Inglewood, CA in 1971, the son of an African American father and Japanese American mother. As a child, he attended Saturday Japanese school in Gardena for three years. Growing up in Torrance, California, he graduated from the University of Southern California after a distinguished career as a student athlete on the Trojan football team.

Morton is a twelve-year veteran in the National Football League and currently plays wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. He has done some modeling and acting work, including an appearance playing himself in the film Jerry Maguire. (August 10, 2005)