I am a fifth generation Japanese-Hawaiian child with not so many connections to my past. I had asked my mother who my family was and to my surprise, she told me about the history of both her side and my father’s side of my family. Like myself, she didn’t have any knowledge ... Read More »
“United Airlines flight 1715 arriving from Tokyo just entered gate 23 at SFO International Terminal,” the overhead monotone voice echoed throughout the airport flooding with rushing people. I exited from gate 23 to walk upon what seemed to be a flawless reflection. It was transparent, but it had a fluent motion. Was it a waterfall? I never seen anything like ... Read More »
Sirens blaring, fighter planes soaring, and the cries of thousands, this was the everyday life and struggles of Japanese men, women, and children. It was a life filled with bombings, hunger, and loneliness. My grandmother, Kimiko, was just five years old when World War II broke out. It was one filled with terror and misery, a world in which ... Read More »
Being an American doesn’t mean you’re a citizen, it’s a feeling. It’s faith, believing in your country, supporting it through good and bad, and paying your duty. When you have that, nobody can touch you. I interviewed my mother in order to learn about my grandfather, Hideo Tomoyasu, and his immigration to Hawaii. My grandfather was born in 1920 ... Read More »
. My name is Jorga Toshinyo (name changed). In 1959, I am 9 years old and living in I live with my mom, dad and my sister. The area I live in is really bad because every day, we are at war with some gangs that live around us, and we can’t afford to eat. We can’t even have a good ... Read More »
My mother, Ayumi Hirano is now 45 years old and was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. At age 19 she traveled to the US to study English at a language school in Seattle, Washington. There, she studied English at least six hours a day. The first few weeks in Seattle were very difficult. She was nervous, depressed, and homesick. ... Read More »
When you’re a seven-year old girl whose knowledge of the English language consists of “hello,” “thank you,” and “peach,” you don’t really know how to react when your parents tell you that you are moving to America for one year. Perhaps it was because you didn’t need to know anything about America, living in a small city in Tokyo. Your ... Read More »
Koichi Koba was born December 13, 1944 in Manchuria, China. Koichi’s father worked as a geologist for Imperial Japan and was conducting a study about the minerals in the area. In September of 1945 Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces ending the war in the Pacific theater. As Japanese Nationals in a hostile country Koichi and his family had to ... Read More »
I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, and came to live in the United States in 1955. My immigration status then was “spouse of an American Citizen.” I studied English at a women’s college in Tokyo known for its excellent English studies program, and after graduation, I worked as interpreter/translator for the occupation personnel under General MacArthur in Tokyo ... Read More »
A calligraphy teacher from Japan is beginning a new life in the U.S. She spoke from her ESL class at the San Mateo Adult School. Watch the video clip below. Read More »