Erik Matsunaga
@erikmatsuLas investigaciones de Erik Matsunaga sobre la historia de la comunidad japonesa americana de Chicago han sido presentadas por el Museo Nacional Japonés Americano, la Galería Alphawood, la Radio WBEZ y la Biblioteca Newberry. Nacido en Chicago, descendiente de repobladores nikkei de California de la época de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, es curador de @windycitynikkei —“Vislumbres breves del Chicago japonés-estadounidense”— en Instagram.
Actualizado en noviembre de 2020
Historias de Este Autor
The Level of Training Was Different
2 de enero de 2014 • Erik Matsunaga
Art Ishii began his judo training in 1954 at Hollywood Judo Dojo in Los Angeles, CA, under the direction of senseis Takashi Kikuchi, Frank Emi, Art Emi, Frank Watanuki, and Gene LeBell. Upon his induction into the Air Force in 1962, he was sent to Sheppard AFB in Texas. “As an anonymous brown belt out of Hollywood Dojo,” he explains, “I was beating sandans (3rd degree black belts) in Air Force tournaments. I couldn’t believe it. It was a testament …
Nooks and Crannies
2 de diciembre de 2013 • Erik Matsunaga
Afterward, I thought I’d tour the city. San Francisco is easily the most beautiful city in the United States, if not the world. I had a few hours to kill before heading toward the airport, and had made a short list of things I wanted to see. At this early hour, about half past five in the morning, I would have the run of the streets and boulevards, warm with sunrise, empty but not lonesome. I first cut down Great …
Be Strong
7 de noviembre de 2013 • Erik Matsunaga
Be strong, be gentle, be beautiful. In judo you need strength of mind, body, and soul. I don’t mean beauty in the external sense. A compassionate soul is inner beauty. I believe that is true beauty. —Keiko Fukuda Yuriko Gamo Romer’s introduction to Keiko Fukuda came by happenstance. The San Francisco, CA-based filmmaker explains, “In 2006, Oprah’s ‘O’ magazine did a story about her. I was intrigued by this story and realized that her dojo was in my neighborhood. So I …
Farm Food
7 de agosto de 2012 • Erik Matsunaga
I didn’t eat much Japanese food growing up. Born hapa Yonsei of a second generation German American mother and third generation Japanese American father who’d grown up together in the “old neighborhood” of Lakeview, Chicago, circumstances didn’t dictate much knowledge of overt Japanese customs, culinary or otherwise. Our family emigrated from Kyushu in the early 1900s, farmers who plied their trade in California’s Central Valley, culminating in ownership of acreage purchased under the names of their American-born Nisei infants due …
Welcome to the Writers Workshop
14 de diciembre de 2011 • Erik Matsunaga
The Undeniables writers workshop was formed in 1999, inspired by a chapter from the novel VALLEY (Bend Press, 1998), by Mike Daily. Edren Sumagaysay and I had met the previous year in a touring theatre troupe based in Los Angeles, and got to talking about a mutual passion for writing while holed up between shows in a Maryland motel. We had both recently read Mike Daily’s then newly released novel, and wanted to host a writers workshop of our own. …