2012 Nima of the Month

Nima are members of our Discover Nikkei Nima-kai community. Our Nima of the Month are some of our most active participants. Learn more about them and what they like about Discover Nikkei.

January 2012

NSUatUCLA (Los Angeles, California, United States)

NSUatUCLA (Nikkei Student Union at Universit of California, Los Angeles) is a young energetic Nikkei student group, located in Los Angeles, California. Although they only recently set up their Discover Nikkei account, we have had an ongoing relationship with their organization. Several of our past interns were/are members, and they participated in a DN program last year (PechaKucha Nite: Innovative Nikkei Projects).

When we had the privilege to present the Nikkei Student Union at UCLA at the PechaKucha Night hosted by Discover Nikkei at the Democracy Forum in August 2010, we saw how diverse the Nikkei Community is and the opportunities offered by DN. It expanded our perspectives about what Nikkei is and the scale at which Nikkei influence the world. The articles, videos, and events hosted by Discover Nikkei give us a greater vision to bring back to our organization and its members.

February 2012

laurahh (São Paulo, Brazil)

laurahh is a Portuguese and Japanese bilingual Sansei writer who currently lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She introduces the life of Nikkei in Brazil from Nikkei perspectives.

[PT]
O Discover Nikkei é para mim...
Era meu desejo de longa data ter um encontro como esse.

Quando fui bolsista no Japão, o professor da faculdade só me chamava por Amazon-san. Por outro lado, no Brasil eu sempre passei por “japonesa”. Sobre essa identidade que oscila entre ser brasileira e ser japonesa, eu sempre quis falar, pelo menos uma vez na vida. Mas até hoje eu não havia encontrado um canal onde eu pudesse fazer isso. Foi então que eu conheci o Discover Nikkei, que me acolheu e ouviu minhas histórias com o maior carinho.

Tenho no Discover Nikkei um amigo dos mais preciosos. Não somente UM amigo, mas uma multidão de amigos, amigos do mundo inteiro dizendo-se presentes. Graças ao Discover Nikkei estou conectada a uma comunidade global e isto me deixa muito feliz.

Ao mesmo tempo em que me interesso pelo Japão, gosto de saber sobre a história da imigração japonesa, que venho pesquisando como autodidata há muito tempo. Com exceção da imigração para o Brasil, eu nada sabia sobre a imigração para outros países por absoluta falta de material.
Mas ao conhecer o Discover Nikkei, foi possível entrar em contato com as histórias extraordinárias sobre nikkeis de outros países. As histórias dos imigrantes e dos nikkeis nos diversos países são exemplos de coragem, perseverança, esperança e amor ao trabalho.

Através do Discover Nikkei fica cada vez maior o meu sentimento de orgulho por ser nikkei.
A todos as minhas saudações!

Leia seus artigos >> [PT, JA, partially EN, ES]

[JA]
わたしにとってのディスカバーニッケイは・・・
長年待ち望んでいた出会いでした。

日本に留学中、大学の助教授には「アマゾンさん」と呼ばれ、ブラジルでは、「ジャポネーザ」と呼ばれていました。このアイデンティティーに揺れる自分の存在のことを一度でもいいから話したいと思っていました。しかし、今までそのような場所を見つけることはできずにいました。そんなわたしの話を受け入れ、やさしく聞いてくれたのが「ディスカバー・ニッケイ」でした。

「ディスカバー・ニッケイ」は今では私の大切な友です。たったひとりの友ではなく、大勢の友だち、世界中に友人が存在するのです。「ディスカバー・ニッケイ」のおかげでグローバル・コミュニティとつながることができて、わたしはたいへん幸せです。

また、私は、日本に興味を持っていると同時に日本移民の歴史にも関心を持っています。独学で以前からいろいろ勉強してきましたが、ブラジルへの移民は例外として、他の国への日本移民については素材不足でまったく知りませんでした。

しかし「ディスカバー・ニッケイ」に出会い、他国の日系人についてのすばらしいストーリーを知ることができました。さまざまな国での日本人移民と日系人のストーリーは勇気、忍耐、希望と仕事に対する情熱の実例です。 「ディスカバー・ニッケイ」に触れることで、ますます日系人であることを誇りに思うようになりました。

これからも、皆さん、よろしくお願いします。

彼女のストーリーを読む>> [PT, JA, 一部 EN, ES]

[EN]
For me, Discover Nikkei is...
For a long time, I’d been wishing for such an encounter.

When I was on a scholarship in Japan, the college professor referred to me only as Amazon-san. On the other hand, in Brazil I’ve always been perceived as “Japanese.” I’ve always wanted to discuss this identity that sways between being Brazilian and being Japanese, even if only once in my lifetime. But up until now, I hadn’t found the means to do so. That is, until I found out about Discover Nikkei, which welcomed me with open arms and listened to my stories with the utmost affection.

In Discover Nikkei, I’ve found one of my most precious friends. In fact, I’ve found not only ONE friend, but a whole multitude of friends; friends from all over the world who are there for me. Thanks to Discover Nikkei, I’ve become connected to a global community, and that makes me very happy.

Besides my interest in Japan itself, I also enjoy learning about Japanese immigration, which I’ve been researching on my own for a long time. Apart from the migratory movements to Brazil, I knew nothing about Japanese immigration to other countries simply because I was unable to find any information on the subject.

But after learning about Discover Nikkei, I found the means to become acquainted with the extraordinary stories about the Nikkei in other countries. Those stories of the immigrants and the Nikkei in various countries are examples of courage, perseverance, hope, and love of work. Through Discover Nikkei, my feeling of pride for being Nikkei keeps growing stronger.

My salutations to all!

Read her stories >> [PT, JA, partially EN, ES]

March 2012

NNMCC (British Columbia, Canada)

NNMCC is the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre in Burnaby, BC, a Canadian Nikkei organization which presents many programs and exhibits about Japanese Canadian history, arts, and culture. They share information about their many events on Discover Nikkei.

Discover Nikkei is a wonderful place that connects people and organizations by a common thread with the expansive Nikkei world. While we are often focused on our immediate Nikkei community, this site opens our eyes to other perspectives on Nikkei history and culture in other countries. It's nice to find lots of people sharing their experiences and interests related to Nikkei culture and history. We mainly use the site to list our programs, and hope more people will know about the work we are doing in Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada.

April 2012

smhamaker (New York, United States)

smhamaker is a Nisei whose mother is from Okinawa and father was from North Carolina. She is a New York-based writer who has contributed her articles on Discover Nikkei since 2010.

Discover Nikkei is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in the Japanese experience around the world. The personal stories are both heartwarming and informative, and reading them puts me in touch with my Japanese identity. It's fulfilling to have found a Japanese community online.

Read her articles >>

May 2012

wasabipress (California, United States)

wasabipress (a.k.a Patricia Wakida) is a Yonsei writer, artist, and cultural worker. She was born in the Year of the Dog in San Diego, California and raised between Honolulu, Hawaii and Fresno, California. She has contributed a couple of articles to Discover Nikkei and is now helping us to organize the Itadakimasu! project. Without her, we would’t have been able to launch the project.

Discover Nikkei is a cultural and identity traveller’s best friend: it provides shelter and diversion for those hungry and in search of intellectual insight or a diasporic companion; they’re a reliable source of maps, travel guides, memoirs, and historical lessons. Discover Nikkei hosts readings, panel discussions on pertinent topics, potlucks and other cultural events, and if you find yourself in search of a portal to enter where people lend and leave authentic impressions of our increasingly complex global culture, this is the place to go for replenishment. Discover Nikkei is legit.

Read her articles >>

June 2012

barbaratakei (Sacramento, California, United States)

barbaratakei is a Sansei writer, researcher, and community historian. Since 2001 her work has focused on the Tule Lake segregation center and has shared many articles on Discover Nikkei related to the World War II camp.

Discover Nikkei offers an insightful look at the Japanese diaspora; an amazingly rich resource where one can aways learn something new about the diverse international Nikkei experience.

Read her articles >>

July 2012

o2gawara (California, United States)

o2gawara is a 91-year-old retired broadcaster who loves to share about Japanese & Nikkei culture. He has been contributing articles to Discover Nikkei since the end of December 2009.

Like a giant encyclopedia, Discover Nikkei is one of our best informational resources—a world-wide link too, not exclusively for ethnic Nikkei, but for those whose souls have been captured by the beauty of the Japanese and Nikkei spirit.

Read his articles >>

August 2012

Ben_Ari (California, United States)

Ben_Ari is a Sansei from Northern California who shares his personal stories as a Japanese American son, husband, and father on Discover Nikkei.

Look around Discover Nikkei—there are articles in English, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. Photos from a hundred years ago and from last month's Obon. And best of all, Discover Nikkei provides a venue for amateur writers like me to display our stories of Nikkei life and times.

Read his articles >>

September 2012

llan (Los Angeles, California, United States)

llan developed content on Discover Nikkei this summer as our 2012 intern. He wrote a lot of articles, conducted an oral history interview, and created a Nikkei album!

Insofar as Discover Nikkei presents a virtual grab bag of stories from Nikkei communities around the world, I know I can always come here to learn something new about some aspect of the Japanese diaspora. In just a few clicks, I might stumble upon stories about anything—from the 1970s folk songs that developed hand in hand with the Asian American movement, to a scholarly analysis of various Mitsuwa marketplaces and the associated implications for Japanese cultural production and consumption, to an intimate story about lifelong love and cherry trees. The hearts and minds that keep the Discover Nikkei community going strong work to foster a friendly, welcoming virtual community for all folks to learn and share their own stories. I appreciate that.

Read his articles >>

Check out his video interview with Justice Kathryn Doi Todd >>

October 2012

jacaranda (Tōkyō, Japan)

jacaranda has been a NIMA since 2011, posting several comments on articles. She is from Tokyo, but has lived in Brazil. She recently contributed an article to the Itadakimasu! project.

[JA] 私のディスカバーニッケイ: 帰国して25年も経つのに、ブラジルとこんなに長く、関係が続くなんて思ってもいませんでした。夫がサンパウロに赴任にしたのに同行したことから全てが偶然に始まりました。時が経って、ますますブラジルファンになってきています。ポルトガル語に魅せられ、和ポ辞典を編集中ですが、今はポルトガル語の観光ガイドもしています。Discover Nikkeiの記事を読み、ブラジルを懐かしく思っているところです。

ブラジルの日系人の友人を通じてDiscover Nikkeiを知りました。大発見でした!異なる国の日系人の文章を読み、ブラジルに住んでいたころを懐かしく思いだしました。外国に住むことは文化の違いもありとても難しいことですが、幸い、私にはブラジルの良い思い出しかありません。それは、多くの先輩が大変な苦労をし、100年後の今、ブラジル社会にしっかり根付いて生活をしているからだと思います。Discover Nikkeiを通して、私の世界が広がりました。いくつになっても、世界は広げられるものだと思います。

NIMA会の皆さん、どうぞよろしくお願いします。

彼女のエッセイを読む >>

[PT] Meu encontro com o Discover Nikkei: Nunca imaginei que eu fosse estar ligada ao Brasil durante tão longo tempo, pois faz 25 anos que eu voltei de lá. Tudo começou por acaso, quando meu marido foi transferido para trabalhar em São Paulo e eu acompanhei-o. Tanto tempo se passou e eu cada vez mais fã do Brasil. Gosto tanto da língua portuguesa que estou fazendo um dicionário japonês-português, além de atualmente estar trabalhando como guia turístico em português. E para matar as saudades do Brasil gosto de ler as matérias do Discover Nikkei.

Fiquei conhecendo o Discover Nikkei através de uma amiga nikkei brasileira. Foi uma grande descoberta! Conhecer a história de nikkeis de diferentes partes do mundo fez com que eu relembrasse com saudades o tempo em que morei no Brasil. Viver fora do seu país é difícil por causa das diferenças culturais, mas felizmente eu só tenho boas lembranças do Brasil. Isto foi graças aos imigrantes que se adaptaram à nova terra com muito sacrifício e hoje, cem anos depois, os nikkeis estão integrados na sociedade brasileira. E agora, através do Discover Nikkei, meu mundo está ampliando-se. Mesmo que o tempo passe, acredito que não haja limites para ampliar o meu mundo.

Aos amigos e amigas NIMA, minhas saudações.

Leia seu artigo >>

[EN] My meeting with Discover Nikkei: I never imagined that I’d be connected to Brazil for such a long time, as it has been 25 years since I came back from there. It all began quite by chance, when my husband was transferred to work in São Paulo and I followed him there. So much time has passed and I continue to be ever more a fan of Brazil. I like Portuguese so much that I’m now working on a Japanese-Portuguese dictionary, besides also working as a Portuguese-language tour guide. And to soothe my longing for Brazil, I enjoy reading the articles found on Discover Nikkei.

I first heard of Discover Nikkei through a Brazilian Nikkei friend. It was a fantastic discovery! Learning the history of the Nikkei from various parts of the world made me recall with a twinge of longing the time I spent living in Brazil. It’s difficult to live away from your country of birth because of cultural differences, but fortunately I carry with me only good memories of my time in Brazil. That’s because of the immigrants who adapted themselves to the new land with much sacrifice; and today, one hundred years later, the Nikkei have become part of Brazilian society. And now, through Discover Nikkei, my world is expanding. Even with the passing of time, I believe there’s no limit to the expansion of my world.

My best regards to my NIMA friends.

Read her article >> [JA, PT]

November 2012

Marsha_JTM (Los Angeles, California, United States)

Although Marsha_JTM just recently created an account, she has contributed stories on Discover Nikkei since March 2011. Her latest story was about spam musubi for the Itadakimasu! project.

Discover Nikkei not only allows me to stay connected to my Japanese American roots but to also gain knowledge about the wider Nikkei experience. Through the stories on the site I can be a part of a community that is familiar and welcoming—it feels like home!

Read her stories >>

December 2012

jennynakaohones (Washington, United States)

jennynakaohones is a Sansei writer who was born in Honolulu, HI, and raised in Tokyo. She recently shared the story about the historic Panama Hotel in Seattle, WA.

I believe everyone has a story, and I love them all, especially the adventurous Japanese who left Japan in search for a better life! They are all so inspiring!

Read her stories >>

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