Our history and relationship with our ethnicity is unique because we are both Chinese and Japanese. Especially when we were younger, we felt more defined by the Chinese side of our family history. Since we look more Chinese than we do Japanese, people tend to judge us based on the Chinese stereotypes. This has impacted...Continue reading
Author: Anne & Sean Chen
Grandma’s Impact on Us
Our grandma, Yukiko, was warm, caring, and loved us unconditionally. She never spoke Japanese to us or talked to us about our roots, but since we were young we thought nothing of it. Our grandma was a product of all that she experienced in her life, and while she took pride in being Japanese, she...Continue reading
Conserving Our Culture
Our grandma passed when we were 6 and 7, and at the time we didn’t realize what we had or might miss later in life. Until recently, we never understood how momentary the Japanese-Canadian culture is. This unique culture, created in such a specific time and space, fades with each generation that passes. If our...Continue reading
Our Family History
Our grandparents were born in the 1920’s in Vancouver BC. Their parents had immigrated to the Canadian West Coast from Gunma, Nagano, and Hiroshima. During the war, our grandmother and grandfather along with their families were interned in Tashme. Both of them were young adults during the time of the internment and had finished high...Continue reading