Advantages of being Nikkei (Spanish)

From the "middle" Nikkei (Spanish) Growing up with some Japanese families (Spanish) The various realities of Nikkei in Latin America (Spanish) The political effects on Nikkei during the war (Spanish) Retaining Japanese customs (Spanish) Advantages of being Nikkei (Spanish) To be more Japanese than you really are (Spanish) Nikkei vs. Nisei (Spanish)

Transcripts available in the following languages:

(Spanish) I think you could say there’s a big advantage [being Nikkei]. In the past, people would say it was hard being Nikkei, right? Because there you were, neither Japanese nor a local, or a Chilean in this case. But I believe that nowadays it’s just the opposite. I think being somewhere in between is very advantageous, because now with cultural globalization there’s information being exchanged between one culture and another, right? It’s very strong, and so because of that, being in the middle oftentimes allows us to understand the good and bad of both cultures. So, I think that, at least in my case, the position of being Nikkei, today, with one foot on one side and the other foot on the other, I think it’s advantageous or positive more than anything.

Date: October 7, 2005
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Ann Kaneko
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

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