haji: Disgrace, shame.

hakujin: Caucasian(s); white(s).

Issei: First-generation Japanese immigrant in America.

ken: A prefecture.

kenjinkai: Association of people who came from the same prefecture.

Nihonmachi: Japanese town.

Nisei: American-born children of Japanese immigrants; second-generation Japanese Americans.

Obon: The summer Bon festival, a Buddhist festival, which honors ancestors.

pachuco: A slang term for a popular slicked-back hair style.

Sansei: American-born grandchildren of Japanese immigrants; third-generation Japanese Americans.

shikata ga nai: It can't be helped. There's nothing one can do.

yogore: Dirt, filth, soil. In this case, word is a derogatory term for "dirty people."