Interviews
On being Japanese and American
I speak Japanese and I go to Japan a lot so I kind of identify both as Japanese and then American and I’m still trying to figure out this, what it is to be Japanese American.
I definitely see myself as different, cause my upbringing is different than west coast Japanese Americans, but there’s a commonality in that, like the history really affects me, probably in a very similar way.
I never felt…either I masked it very well, in that whatever prejudices were around me, but I had friends and I…since I played music, music is a very kind of colorblind art form I think. So…a lot of art is.
Date: August 21, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Sharon Yamato
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Grandmother's influence on decision to go to Japan
(b.1942) Japanese American ceramist, who has lived in Japan for over 30 years.
A Possible Path towards Happiness… (Spanish)
(1958-2014) Former Bolivian Ambassador to Japan
What is Nikkei? (Japanese)
Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history
Learning from Nikkei (Japanese)
Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history
Nickname
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Context affects meaning
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Testing assumptions of Japanese scholars
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Appreciating Kinnara Taiko's approach to taiko
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
A Japanese American gardening dance
Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.
Feeling empowered by taiko
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko