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Moving to Brazil wanting to see the world (Japanese)

(Japanese) The reason I left Japan-well, my father was a vinegar maker. One day he told me to deliver the vinegar to a customer, and that was the first time I left my hometown. I went somewhere completely different, and being in a new place made everything seem so beautiful. I thought, "Wow, such a wonderful place exists out here." From then on, I started to love traveling more than going to school. That was the beginning for me. In the very beginning there really wasn't much migration. It was only to North America. But then in North America, the English. the Americans began bullying the Japanese. And they couldn't really bully the adults, so they started picking on the children. This was written on a magazine once, and I had that magazine, but I lent it to someone or something. Anyway, the Japanese government stopped it [migration to North America]. Then [migration to] Brazil began. When the migration to Brazil started, only people who had family could come to Brazil. You couldn't come [to Brazil] unless you came with your family. But I was by myself, so that wasn't an option. My next-door neighbors were able to come to Brazil as a family. So I. so my father wanted me to go with them [as part of their family] since I had already gotten my passport. My father helped me out [monetarily], too, because I didn't have enough traveling money, because you've got to pay your traveling fees first. So for the first time in his life, he bought some cloth, and made some clothes. That's kind of the way I got to Brazil (laughs).


Brazil immigration migration

Date:

Location: Brazil

Contributed by: Caminho da memória - 遥かなるみちのり. São Paulo, Brazil: Comissão de Elaboração da História dos 80 Anos de Imigração Japonesa no Brasil, 1998. VHS.

Interviewee Bio

Ryoichi Kodama was born in Hiroshima in July of 1895. He immigrated to Brazil in 1908 aboard the Kasato-maru, which carried the very first group of Japanese immigrants to Brazil. Kodama, who was brought over to Brazil under a contract, worked on a farmland called Dumont, along the Mogiana railroads, for 4 years. Thereafter, he would become the first Japanese person to obtain a Brazilian driver’s license, and would make his living as a driver. He held a vast knowledge regarding the Kasato-maru immigration, and was known as the “Living Encyclopedia” in the city of Presidente Prudente. He was also an active member of the Hiroshima Kenjin-kai as well as the local cultural association. (1998)

Roberto Hirose
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Roberto Hirose

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(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

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Roberto Hirose
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Roberto Hirose

Growing up with some Japanese families (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

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Roberto Hirose
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Roberto Hirose

The various realities of Nikkei in Latin America (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

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John Naka
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John Naka

Avoiding the Japanese military

(1914-2004) Nisei Bonsai master in the United States

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Michie Akama
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Michie Akama

Reasons for immigrating to Brazil (Japanese)

Issei, Pioneer of women's education in Brazil

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Paula Hoyos Hattori
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Paula Hoyos Hattori

The arrival of her grandpa (Spanish)

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Ryoko Hokama
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Ryoko Hokama

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(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean

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Ryoko Hokama
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Ryoko Hokama

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(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Kazuomi Takagi

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(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Kazuomi Takagi

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(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Kazuomi Takagi
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Kazuomi Takagi

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(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

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Luis Yamada
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Luis Yamada

Decision to settle in Argentina after WWII (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

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Luis Yamada
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Luis Yamada

Returning Argentina after the war (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

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Luis Yamada
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Luis Yamada

A lucky man (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

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Shunji Nishimura
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Shunji Nishimura

Going to Brazil to escape debt (Japanese)

(1911-2010) Founder of JACTO group

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