<Begin Segment 7>

[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

TL: You said earlier that you had a notion that your future did lie in the United States.

MK: (Yes.)

TL: You also said that over time, you were more accepted by the other Japanese students...

MK: (Yes.)

TL: ...in Japan. In this process, would you say your American or Japanese and American identity was growing stronger, or -- how would you describe that identity?

MK: Split personality -- marginal. You have to live with that. You are neither 100 percent Japanese (nor) a 100 percent American. (And that is an asset today, but not so during the war period. It is an asset because you are able to understand the culture of another people, introduce that culture into American culture and stimulate that culture.)

TL: When you went to school in San Francisco, and now you're about fourteen or fifteen, how -- can you tell us about your adjustment in those early years at age fourteen or fifteen?

MK: After I came back, huh?

TL: Yeah.

MK: (...) Well, when I came back I knew that I had to (catch up with my English study). I was burning the midnight oil because the Nisei, they're all (very studious). So I could see my (Nisei neighbors too) burning the midnight oil. I never shut down the light until the other people did. But this -- there's one thing that I eventually came to realize. The Nisei people are very dedicated, (very) -- highly competitive. But as one goes up the academic ladder, the hakujin people seems to -- not to compete, but (nonetheless) come up with remarkable academic accomplishment, (without outwardly showing their competitive mood, at least that is the way I perceived of them.) They (acted) perfectly gentlemen-like. (...) I don't know how they are now. But you see, education just for the sake of education is (not real education. The important issue of education is realizing personal growth.) Now, the Japanese mother in Japan (today, all they do is to) cram knowledge (...) to their children. They become very good (academically), except that they do not develop a vision of the type that the Americans would. (Their vision is) very narrow. And that's the reason why the Japanese have developed great technologists and businessmen. How about the Nobel Prize? It's always Americans, and (the) Japanese? Very few. That is what I mean, that the American type of education is nothing to (look down upon). (American students are) low starters, but (American education provides the) opportunity for late bloomers, (not the) Japanese type of education -- never.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.