Nikkei Chronicles #8—Nikkei Heroes: Trailblazers, Role Models, and Inspirations
The word “hero” can mean different things to different people. For this series, we have explored the idea of a Nikkei hero and what it means to a variety of people. Who is your hero? What is their story? How have they influenced your Nikkei identity or your connection to your Nikkei heritage?
We solicited stories from May to September of 2019, and voting closed on November 15, 2019. We received 32 stories (16 English; 2 Japanese; 11 Spanish; and 3 Portuguese) from individuals in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.
Here are the selected favorite stories by our Editorial Committee and the Nima-kai.
Editorial Committee’s Favorites
- ENGLISH:
Mine Okubo
By Edna Horiuchi - JAPANESE:
My Roots—The Legacy of Matsugoro Ohto
By Naori Shiraishi - SPANISH:
My Hero: Kiyoshi Kuwahara
By Fuyiko Kuwahara - PORTUGUESE:
Miyoko Fujisaka, 95 years old – Our Heroine
By Iraci Megumi Nagoshi
Nima-kai selection:
- 48 stars:
My Father Was A Tule Lake Resister
By Keiko Moriyama
Stories from this series
My unforgettable uncle
May 9, 2019 • Katsuo Higuchi
As a child, I used to read a monthly magazine that still exists today, in which there was a section called “My unforgettable type”, my favorite, where the lives of remarkable characters were portrayed. Ordinary people who, through their qualities or attitudes, had stood out or influenced the lives of others, equally common. An unforgettable figure for me was Uncle Yotiam or Tim for many, my late uncle on my mother's side, who left us a legacy of good and …
Unsung Heroes of the Japanese Canadian Internment
May 7, 2019 • Chuck Tasaka
In present day Canada, the high profile Nikkei we hear of so often are people like David Suzuki, Joy Kogawa, Muriel Kitagawa, Thomas Shoyama, Santa Ono, Raymond Moriyama, Art Miki, Mary and Tosh Kitagawa, and athletes like Paul Kariya (hockey), Nathan Hirayama (Rugby 7), Vicky Sunohara (Olympic hockey), Special Olympic skier Brian McKeever and the Hall of Fame Vancouver Asahi baseball team (1914-1941). From 1942-1949, during the forced relocation from the B.C. coast beyond the 100-mile radius east to various …