In this issue…

In many American states, interracial marriage was illegal until 1967. In Japan, marriages between Japanese nationals and non-Japanese persons were officially permitted beginning in the 1870s, but were still rare before World War II.

In this issue, we share some life history interview clips and Journal articles about interracial marriage.

Enjoy!

— Discover Nikkei Team

INTERVIEWS

• Marriage to a non-Japanese [ES, EN, JA, PT]
Kazuomi Takagi
An Issei journalist in Argentina talks about how he was pressured to marry a Japanese woman through miai (arranged marriage), but refused.

• Marriage during anti-miscegenation laws [EN, JA, ES, PT]
Terry Janzen
A half-Japanese woman born in Japan talks about the difficulties she encountered trying to get married in the United States because of the anti-miscegenation laws that were in place.

• Marriage and Returning to the US [EN, JA, ES, PT]
Harry Schneider
When Harry Schneider was working with the US Military Intelligence Service stationed in Tokyo, he met a Japanese woman named Hamako. The two were married in 1948, and she became one of the first “war brides” allowed into the US after World War II. In this clip, Schneider talks about getting married and coming to the US with his bride.

• On international marriages [JA, EN, ES, PT]
Jean Hamako Schneider
Jean Hamako Schneider was working in Tokyo when she met her future husband, Harry Schneider. In this clip she talks about her reluctance to let others know that she was dating a foreigner.

JOURNAL

• The European Gentleman [EN]
By Kim (Oikawa) Kobrle
A Canadian Nisei woman tells how she came to know and marry a man who escaped the oppressive regimes of Eastern Europe, and describes their lives together as a young mixed-race couple.

• Mixed Marriages [EN]
By David Mas Masumoto
An American Sansei writer reflects on changing laws and attitudes pertaining to interracial marriages in the United States.

• Moved to the U.S. in 1956 and currently resides in Ontario, California: Fumiko Lopez [JA, EN]
By Keiko Fukuda
Fumiko Lopez met her husband Luis, a Mexican American GI stationed in Tokyo, in 1955. They married in Japan and moved to the US in 1956. She recounts the difficulties she encountered as a war bride in Southern California.

Arigato, baka, sushi, benjo, and shoyu—how often have you used these words? What role does the Japanese language play in your life? What other languages do you speak?

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NIMA–KAI

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Nima of the Month

TKA (California, United States)

TKA (Tim Asamen) is the coordinator of the Japanese American Gallery, a permanent exhibit at the Pioneers’ Park Museum in Imperial Valley, California. He is also active in the Kagoshima Heritage Club. His first contribution to Discover Nikkei was a journal article in 2009. Since then, he has periodically submitted stories about Japanese Americans in the Imperial Valley and his own personal experiences as a Sansei.

We asked him what he likes about Discover Nikkei and this is what he said:

[EN] Nikkei Chronicles #3: Nikkei Names: Taro, John, Juan, João? is one of my favorite series because I am fascinated by name culture in Japan and among Nikkei. I recently read on Discover Nikkei about a Peruvian artist named Eduardo Tokeshi. He may be distantly related to a former Imperial Valley Nisei I knew named Edward Tokeshi. Another feature of Discover Nikkei that I greatly enjoy is the book reviews. Although it is not necessarily good for my wallet because every time I read a review, I end up having to buy another book!

Read TKA's stories here >>

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EVENTS

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—Thanks from the Discover Nikkei team!

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