Densho Digital Repository - Jimmy Naganuma Interview (Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-480-18)

<Begin Segment 18>

YN: How did your parents emphasize your Japaneseness when you were growing up?

JN: You break that down?

YN: You mentioned that your parents said you're Japanese, you have to speak in Japanese, so I was wondering how your parents emphasized your Japaneseness when you were growing up.

JN: Well, they know I was improving, how to speak Japanese, and I did notice that I wanted to find some Japanese friends. Of course, I had all my other friends that spoke a little bit Japanese that were more Americanized, especially people that grew up here in San Francisco.

YN: Some of the cultural practice, celebration, like Shogatsu, or there was food or they had something related to Japanese that your parents always kind of let kids do?

JN: How should I explain? I'm sorry... how should I explain all that? I'm sorry?

YN: Did you practice, like did you went to, like Japanese event, Japanese celebration or festival of those kind of thing?

JN: Here, San Francisco? Well, Konko church is more Japanese. Japanese-y, how did you like that word? Of course, many people there was Japanese Nisei. They were speaking both in Japanese and English, especially on Thanksgiving, you don't see all the Niseis there, you see Japanese from Japan.

YN: How was at home?

JN: At home it was all Japanese. My father would speak Japanese, of course. Even though they knew Spanish, I don't think my two brothers were, it was Spanish. So it was all Japanese.

YN: Except for the language, Japanese language, your parents also celebrate as a family, like Oshogatsu or those kind of things?

JN: Yeah, oh, yes. We invited some friends that spoke Japanese, my father did. Of course, we'd celebrate in Japanese. At home, of course, it's all Japanese, but not in America, it's English.

YN: And what kind of food do they prepare for it?

JN: Pardon?

YN: What kind of food are they preparing for it?

JN: You know, I just got...

YN: What kind of food do they prepare for those events?

JN: My mother tried hard, I don't know how much she knew Japanese cooking, but she did her best. She cooked Japanese food. Not only that, but also, what she learned in Peru, we had Peruvian dishes sometimes, yeah. Interesting for me. So even now, I go to Peruvian restaurant. It's been a while, but interesting, I go to Peruvian restaurant. I tried to remember what my mother cooked.