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JA: Tell me, so that our audience is clear, what some of the terms mean that describe the different generations: Issei, Nisei, Kibei -- what do these different terms mean? Just very succinctly.

SE: Issei means first generation. Nisei, ni means two, is second generation. Now there are what we call Sansei, the third generation. The Kibei was a group of people that were born in the United States, and at an early age sent to Japan to live with grandparents or relatives and get a Japanese education, and then they came back to the United States. For some reason, I don't know whether it was our parents' generation, they put this generational category so that it's mostly a generational thing.

JA: So, Issei were born in Japan?

SE: Issei were those that were born in Japan and immigrated to the United States, could not become citizens. Nisei are the American-born. Actually, we are the first generation born in the United States, but we're considered second, and then our children would be Sansei, third generation.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2002 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.