What do you like most about Discover Nikkei?

I love how Discover Nikkei creates a platform that emphasizes the diversity of our community. It is easy to believe that Japanese Americans are all one sort of homogenous person with the same background, but Discover Nikkei creates an opportunity for diaspora voices to tell their stories. The mere fact that Discover Nikkei publishes in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Japanese shows me how much our amazing staff gives us the chance to tell our stories on our terms. I really wish I had found out about it earlier, particularly because being a multiracial Japanese American can be challenging, and I often felt alone growing up. Seeing more stories like mine on Discover Nikkei helps me feel at home, and shows me that our community has room for everyone!

What has been the most meaningful aspect of your internship?

The opportunity to connect with my community and engage with individuals who come from many different backgrounds! Growing up as a yonsei multiracial Japanese American in a predominantly white part of Los Angeles, I had not realized how many people have the opportunity to connect with their culture from a young age, particularly through opportunities such as Japanese American basketball and Buddhist churches. Being able to spend time with people who are so integrated into Japanese culture has given me an entirely new outlook on my identity and strengthened my bonds to the community. Thank you, Nikkei Community Internship!

What is your favorite thing about interviewing families for The Power of Irei series?

There’s something about the reverence that families bring to Ireicho that is truly humbling. It’s as if a sacred spirit is hovering in the Ireicho room breathing perpetual life into our ancestors’ stories. In a culture built on the gaman of silent suffering, it’s beautiful to hear descendants pay tribute to those ancestors who bore their suffering in silence by wanting to speak out about those who could/would not speak themselves.

What is the most meaningful thing that has happened as a result of your connection to Discover Nikkei?

It’s been expansive to find a place to write not only about the incarceration experience but also to share stories of determination, strength, and beauty in a culture that has lots of that to offer. When I wrote about a personal hero, Alan Nishio, as he continues to live an abundant life while facing death, I’ve learned valuable lessons in my rapidly approaching old age about what living and giving back are all about.

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[EN]
Why is it important to share Peruvian Nikkei stories?

Because we share our experiences with Nikkei from all over the world, and in this way, we can learn about our similarities and differences as Nikkei. It is also a way to connect with each other, Peruvian Nikkei, sharing experiences that may be similar because we live in the same country.

What is the most meaningful thing that has happened as a result of your connection to Discover Nikkei?

I had the opportunity to meet Nikkei from Peru and other countries, thanks to some stories I shared on the Discover Nikkei website. They found me on social media by my name, and since Discover Nikkei has a large reach on the internet, they found out that I write a blog (Jiritsu) and that’s how our virtual friendship began.

I would also like to point out that thanks to Discover Nikkei sharing an article I originally wrote for a Perú-based Nikkei magazine on their website, a Japanese researcher (Tetsuya Hirahara) emailed me to help him publish his book, La Hora Japonesa en el Perú (The Japanese Hour in Peru), while I was in Peru and he was in Japan. This book finally came out in 2018, and of course, I shared this experience on Discover Nikkei!

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[ES]
¿Por qué es importante compartir historias nikkei de Perú?

Porque compartimos nuestras experiencias con nikkeis de todo el mundo, y de este modo, podemos conocer nuestras similitudes y diferencias como nikkeis. Es además una manera de conectarnos entre nosotros mismos, nikkei peruanos, compartiendo vivencias que pueden ser similares al vivir en el mismo país.

¿Qué es lo más significativo que te ha ocurrido como resultado de tu conexión con Descubra a los Nikkei?

Tuve la oportunidad de conocer a nikkeis de Perú y de otros países, gracias a algunas historias que compartí en el sitio web de Discover Nikkei. Me encontraron en las redes sociales por mi nombre y, gracias al alcance que tiene Discover Nikkei, se enteraron que escribo un blog (Jiritsu) y así fue como empezó nuestra amistad virtual.

También me gustaría destacar que gracias a que Discover Nikkei compartió en su sitio web un artículo que escribí originalmente para una revista nikkei de Perú, un investigador japonés (Tetsuya Hirahara) me contactó para ayudarlo a publicar su libro, “La Hora Japonesa en el Perú,” mientras yo estaba en Perú y él, en Japón. El libro salió finalmente en el 2018 y, naturalmente, ¡compartí esta experiencia en Discover Nikkei!

LEA SUS HISTORIAS >>

What do you like about Discover Nikkei?

I love that Discover Nikkei has so many resources for readers to learn about people of Japanese ancestry from all over the world, including multiracial people like me. I especially enjoy Discover Nikkei’s rich and varied oral histories, essays, and photo albums.

Why is it important to share stories about diverse Nikkei experiences?

All of our stories matter. Sharing them with this online community allows all of us to learn from and about one another. By publishing our stories in our own words we give ourselves agency, write our own histories, and empower others to share theirs too.

Read her stories >>