Densho Digital Repository - Susumu Nakanishi Interview (Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-496-13)

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BY: And then you had four children. Can you tell me their names and when they were born, about?

SN: Yes. Well, my first son, John, J-O-H-N, born in 1955. So one of my friends told me, "So quick." [Laughs] But anyway, '55 was John. And then Joy was a girl, and then Lisa, another girl, and David, he's the youngest. John is now retired in California, but he was a chemical engineer of the University of California. And then Joy is the Yale University social work, and Lisa was Northeastern University law school, so lawyer, and then David is the youngest, University of California social work. So all our kids received a graduate school degree, and Lisa got a PhD. So fortunately, they are doing well.

BY: So I want to ask you about raising children in the United States. So you and your wife grew up in Japan, and yet your children were born in the United States. So can you talk about the differences in raising children in Japan versus the U.S.? What's different or what's the same?

SN: Well, we didn't discuss much, because all our kids were born in the States and quite different from Japan.

BY: For example?

SN: Well, you have freedom of choice, whatever you want to do, or what you want to become. But in Japan, once you're born in farmer's home, you must be a farmer or a merchant, go with merchant, which is a big difference. But I think I took our kids once in Japan to show them to my parents, but that's all. Our kids may not remember the trip.

BY: So tell me about, were there differences in things like discipline? If your child does something bad in Japan versus U.S., how would you handle that? Or other things like activities that they wanted to do with their friends?

SN: Well, the kids has more freedom and more choice. In Japan, once you're born in farmer, you will be a farmer all your life, and no real choice. But here is whatever you want, you can do.

BY: What about, if one of your children did something bad, I mean, not terrible, but a little bit bad, what's the difference in the way children are disciplined in the United States from Japan? So what would happen if a child did something a little bit bad? What would happen in Japan, what would happen in the United States?

SN: Well, fortunately, our family didn't get any problem. [Laughs]

BY: They never did anything bad?

SN: No, fortunately.

BY: Okay. You also mentioned that, you said your children's way of thinking is different from yours. Can you give an example of how their way of thinking is different?

SN: Let's see. Numbers of things, but let's see. What is the big difference? Well, to respect the individual way of life, each one has their own choice, and not forced to, is a big difference. We never told our children what to do and so fortunately, went all right.

BY: So did you raise your children to be Japanese or to be American? Like did you celebrate Japanese holidays or American holidays? Did they... talk about that a little bit.

SN: Oh, we raised our kids Americans, so we never celebrate Japanese holidays, and gave them freedom, whatever you want to do, what they choose. So fortunately, my wife agreed, so more freedom.

BY: Did you speak Japanese at home or English?

SN: Not much.

BY: Not much what?

SN: Greetings and that's about it.

BY: Japanese?

SN: Yeah. But they chose their own, and my two boys in California went to the University of California and learned Japanese. And my two daughters, they speak a little bit, but not too much Japanese.