My Japanese American Identity and Intern Experience at GVJCI

By: Kimi Nagasaki, GVJCI Marketing & Social Media Intern

You might be familiar with the terms: issei, nisei, sansei, and yonsei, but what about gosei? Gosei is a term used to describe a fifth-generation descendant from Japanese emigrants. I am a gosei on both my mom and dad’s side of the family. As a gosei, I have always felt a little distant from my Japanese heritage, I never learned how to speak Japanese, my family celebrates only a handful of Japanese holidays, and I am a picky eater who refuses to eat ume, red bean paste, and natto. However, I still have a love and appreciation for Japanese food and culture; I love dancing at Obon, and of course, eating every type of Japanese noodle (ramen, udon, somen, soba). My identity as a Japanese American was confusing as a child. At school, I felt too Japanese for my friends, but amongst my teammates and peers from Asian-league basketball, I felt more Americanized. I’ve struggled to balance both identities, and I’m still learning to embrace both.​

To further understand my identity as a fifth-generation Japanese American, here’s a brief family history. In the 1940s, my dad’s parents were sent to concentration camps during World War II. My grandpa served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Italy, while his parents were placed behind barbed wire in Poston, Arizona. On the other hand, my mom’s parents had an entirely different experience on Oahu. They were not forced into concentration camps. Instead, my great-grandfather worked at an oil company and was able to provide his four children with private school education.
​I think the fact that my grandparents lived through a time where their loyalty to the United States was questioned, had a large impact on how they were to raise their children. In the 1950s and 60s, my parents lived pretty assimilated lives in Los Angeles County while also maintaining a connection to their Japanese heritage. My dad was quite connected to his extended Japanese family, he played basketball with other Japanese Americans, and worked in Little Tokyo as a high school student. My mom had a large group of Asian-American family friends from Hawaii and many of her lifelong best friends are Japanese American. Their mix of Japanese and American upbringings influenced them to, therefore, raise me in a similar way. ​

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I also grew up in Los Angeles County, specifically Palos Verdes, and lived a very assimilated life here. I went to schools that were majority white and felt I needed to be more Americanized in order to fit in. In school, I felt a bit detached from my Japanese identity, but to make up for that loss, my parents did their best to connect me and my siblings to our Japanese heritage and community. We attended an Asian-American Christian church and my parents signed me and my siblings up for Asian-league basketball where we could connect with other Japanese American kids. I played on F.O.R. Hoku from 1st-12th grade and I’m so thankful that my parents signed me up to play on a F.O.R. team. I was able to meet so many of my close friends through F.O.R. and even volunteered at the annual GVJCI Matsuri Fundraiser–or as I’ve always called it, the JCI Carnival. I have many fond memories of going to the carnival to volunteer at the game booths, meet up with friends, eat good food, play bingo, and dance hula with Kanani Kalama Hula Studio. GVJCI has been the center of my JA experience and has truly provided me with a space to engage, share, and embrace Nikkei experience and culture. It’s crazy to believe that I am now an intern for this organization that has helped me connect with my Japanese heritage.​

I have loved my experience as a Marketing & Social Media Intern at GVJCI. This summer, I helped plan social media content for our Virtual Matsuri Fundraiser. I learned so much about managing social media accounts and what it takes to plan and execute marketing campaigns. I also gained valuable experience in tracking social media engagement in order to measure effective marketing strategies. Interning at GVJCI was more than just gaining marketing experience, it also allowed me to meet more people within the Japanese American community in the South Bay. During my time with GVJCI, I was able to meet Hideki Obayashi and Frank Nakano, owners of Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop and Azuma. I interviewed them for an article and we discussed how they came to own these two beloved local restaurants and how they have adjusted since the pandemic hit. In addition, I enjoyed going to the office for our monthly Senior Food Box Distributions. These drives provide fresh produce and canned goods for seniors in our community. The volunteers at our monthly drive are always so kind and it’s been a pleasure to meet these amazing community members. ​​

To close my time here at GVJCI, I helped out at our annual TANOSHII Fun Camp. TANOSHII has been one of my favorite parts of this internship not only because I get to hang out with the funniest little kiddos, but also to learn more about Japanese American culture and heritage. As I previously stated, I felt a little distant from my heritage as a gosei. But being a part of TANOSHII, I feel as though I’ve learned just as much as the young campers. During camp, I learned some Japanese language from our Japanese Language School teacher, Asaka Sensei. She taught us about different festivals and holidays in Japan like Tanabata and Otsukimi. We also made Japanese food like mochi and tsukemono, played taiko drums, and even went on a virtual field trip to Sunflower Farms Nursery, a local Japanese-owned small business. This opportunity at GVJCI was more than just your average internship. I gained hands-on experience in marketing, but more importantly, I had the chance to connect to my Japanese American heritage and community. 

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