Machida, Ethan Michihiko (3/23/2021)

Emma Saito Lincoln (EL): Today is March 23rd 2021, and this oral history is being recorded at the Japanese American Service Committee building at 4427 N Clark St. in Chicago, IL. The interviewer is Emma Saito Lincoln, and the interviewee is Ethan Machida. This interview is being recorded by the JASC Legacy Center in order to document the experiences of Japanese Americans in the Chicago area. Okay, so to start off with, I'm just going to ask you a few background questions for context. So if you could please state your full name?

Ethan Machida (EM): My name is Ethan Michihiko Machida.

EL: And in what year were you born?

EM: 1998.

EL: And where were you born?

EM: I was born in Sapporo, yeah in Hokkaido, Japan.

EL: So, could you tell me a little bit about your parents?

EM: Yeah, so my mother is white American, Scottish descent, and then my dad is Japanese. He was born in the near, near Kannami I think, yup.

EL: And when and how did they meet?

EM: So they met in Japan... It's kind of funny because my dad was a foreign exchange student to the US from Japan as a high schooler. And then he also went to undergrad and graduate school in the US, and then went back to Japan. And then my mom went to Japan and then they met there. She was involved with the local church, and then through her friends got connected with my dad there.

EL: And then when did your family come to the US as a family?

EM: When I was three years old, so at that point my mom would have been living in Japan for 12 years total up to that point.

EL: Do you know when they first came to the US, at that time did they plan for it to be a permanent move?

EM: Maybe not permanent, but at the very least long term just because they thought it was important for the--for us kids being bicultural, to have sufficient exposure in each homeland.

EL: And where did you move to when you first came to the US?

EM: So we moved to northern Michigan to a city called Frankfort. It was like maybe 1000 people, mostly white, and my mom had friends that lived in that area. And since at that time it was a poorer economic situation, and so that's also where job opportunity was available.

EL: So did your parents have work lined up for themselves before they came?

EM: Kinda, yeah not very solidly. My dad's job in Japan ended, so then my mom's friend just encouraged them to come over to the US and said that "Hey you'll probably be able to find a job."

EL: And then did you stay in that part of Michigan, or did you move from there?

EM: Yeah we stayed for a while until I was in the end of middle school so it would have been like ten--about 10 years we stayed in that city. And then we moved again for my dad's job to a part in lower Michigan called Coldwater, Michigan. It was maybe 10,000 people, and much more diversity. And there was--so there was no Japanese community in Frankfort, Michigan but in Coldwater, there was. Not significant, but it was still present.

EL: Okay so in your early childhood you were living in a place that really didn't have any other Japanese American or Japanese families to speak of, but, but then you moved to a place that was more diverse?

EM: Yeah, yup. And then yeah throughout that whole time, our grandparents and maybe some aunts, uncles, cousins would come visit maybe once a year and hang out for about 2 weeks or so. So we would have that kind of exposure. And then in Coldwater, there was a few car manufacturing companies and then they would bring 00:04:00Japanese executives to stay for a year or two years. They would bring their families and then for whatever reason our--our family always got in contact with them and made friendships so there's that connection.

EL: So the, so the community that you had in Coldwater was more Japanese expatriates--

EM: Yeah.

EL: --than Japanese Americans.

EM: Right, yup.

EL: And then do your parents still live in that area, or...

EM: Mhmm, yeah. And yeah they're happy there and I think the community's a good fit for them.

EL: So when did you come to Chicago?

EM: So I came to Chicago in 2018 to start studies at Moody Bible Institute. Originally I was studying engineering in northern Michigan at Michigan Technological University, but then decided to switch majors to pastoral studies.

EL: And when you came to Chicago did you know anybody here?

EM: No I was-- yeah no connections. I'm very grateful for the-- The communal 00:05:00aspect of Christianity. That, as you're involved with the church, ideally people ought to welcome you as part of their community. So definitely being engaged with the local church was such a lucrative opportunity for finding community quickly.

EL: Is that something that you grew up with, or is it something that you explored as an adult?

EM: I think it's both. We grew up going to church on Sundays, my mom is a Christian and my dad isn't. Oddly enough, he was very supportive of us practicing Christianity, and the values in Christian belief system he was very supportive of. But it wasn't till maybe high school age that I--I took it more seriously and tried to explore it for myself and invest more time into it.

EL: So, to take it back a little bit when your family first came to the US, or actually prior to that when your father came alone as a young man has he ever talked to you about how it felt to him to leave Japan?

EM: Yeah and he's a funny character I think. Somewhat, somewhat rebellious, very adventurous and entrepreneurial. So he was very open-minded about coming to America. And his father gave him the opportunity to send him to a university in Japan or send him to America. So he chose the America route and was eager to go. I think at the end of his time in America he was a little bit homesick so he was happy to return.

EL: And when your parents got married, did he feel very accepted by your 00:07:00mother's family?

EM: Yeah, in--in general. So my mother's father actually fought in the Pacific theater of World War II. And one of the--the things that my uncles on my mother's side of the family say it was kind of poetic justice that from my American grandfather's time in World War II, he fostered uh--I think you could even call it a racism towards Japanese and--yeah that existed, and then by the time my mother got married, I guess supposedly it toned down enough for him to accept my father as, as part of the family. But the rest of my family is very, or the American side is very... Welcoming of him, and even--at family reunions it's kind of weird 'cause me, my siblings, and my dad are the only colored people in the family reunion. But we're still just as equally loved and as 00:08:00equally embraced.

EL: How many siblings do you have?

EM: Two siblings, one sister, one younger brother. My sister is a year older, and she just got married two years ago. And then my brother is a high school in senior--ah senior in high school.

EL: So you mentioned that when you were growing up your relatives from Japan would come to visit--

EM: Mhmm.

EL: --and I'm wondering if there's maybe some other ways that you stayed in touch with them during that time, how did you--your family remain connected to friends and family back in Japan?

EM: Mostly with phone calls and packages, yeah we would call maybe--or I know that my parents would call them once or twice a month and they would--we would send packages to each other a few times throughout the year.

EL: Do you remember what was in those packages?

EM: Yeah lots of Japanese candy, or the, the plastic like figures that you'd punch out of the molds and then put together. Yeah.

EL: And since, since the initial move to the US when you were three, have you or any of your family members gone back to Japan?

EM: Yeah, so my, my dad and sister--of our nuclear family went back. My dad would go back every once in a while for business trips, and then my sister after leaving high school--or graduating high school, she took a trip to Japan also. One of the things our parents want us to do or wanted us to do is that right after graduating high school, we would go to a foreign country by ourselves for like a month or so, so she chose to go to Japan.

EL: And where did you go?

EM: I chose to go to Scotland. My Japanese is very little so... And I also, I hate depending on translators, so when I go back to Jam--Japan, I would want to have my language skills refined much better, yeah.

EL: Do you feel that your parents made efforts while you were growing up to 00:10:00transmit Japanese culture to you?

EM: I definitely think so, aside from the, the food aspect of cooking Japanese food there are--I think a heightened sense of humility and self-sacrifice that seem characteristic of Japanese culture, that they were impressing on us as kids that I didn't really notice in any of my American peers. So yeah, along with the cultural values, they use a bit of slang words in Japanese, talk about political differences. So they were, yeah, still intentional to incorporate it.

EL: I'm curious to know, when you would interact with some of those Japanese expat families, as a child or young adult how did you feel during those encounters?

EM: I always felt somewhat odd, or as if I didn't fully fit in or so with the American community. I'm too Japanese to be fully American, with the Japanese community I'm too American to be Japanese. So there's that maybe unspoken barrier of feeling fully in the community, but then it still wasn't anything significant to make me cast out or shunned or anything.

EL: And did you, or--or have you had much interaction with Japanese Americans whose families had been in the country for longer?

EM: When I came to Chicago, yes. Just because some of my classmates were also Japanese Americans so yeah we would eat lunch together, hang out every once in a while.

EL: So, so that was not really until--what you're 18, 19 years old before you--

EM: Right.

EL: --become a little bit more aware of another category of Japanese Americans.

EM: Right yeah, before then it was mostly exposure to Japanese, and not so much Japanese Americans.

EL: And did you learn much about Japanese immigration history, or Japanese American incarceration in school?

EM: Yeah briefly though, I think probably to the same extent that I would have learned about Chinese Americans or maybe even--I don't know Arab Americans. So there're... Yeah there were some aspects that we'd learn about like the incarceration camps, or even like I think in the 1960s, 70s, the riots that would happen. And especially being in close proximity to Detroit, in Novi, Michigan there are a lot of, I think more conversations that I heard about 00:13:00Japanese Americans in that time and kind of how as the car company manufacturers became more prominent there--they incurred some more hate, yeah.

EL: Do you remember when you were first learning about those things, did you feel connected to the people that had that happen to them? Or did you feel like you were just learning about--it could have been any group of people?

EM: Yeah I think more towards the second option, it seemed like a--a group of people. Mostly because, I wonder if it was the, the lack of pictures or stuff that I saw 'cause it was like mostly words. Yeah, then again that also made more, more clear the reality that in, in some circumstance, that could be me, that could be my, that could be my experience. So, even though I didn't feel 00:14:00fully connected with the experience, it was still a opportunity of realization.

EL: So, I'd like to kind of switch gears a little bit an--and explore your experiences here in Chicago. And I'm wondering to what extent have you felt welcome by Chicago's Japanese American community?

EM: I think t--to the extent that I put myself out there, welcomed. So I haven't done much on my own part to engage, and I think for the Japanese community--Japanese American community, if they don't know that I'm here then they can't necessarily welcome me. But especially with JASC, there's so many opportunities that they're inviting anyone to come be a part of. Even with like 00:15:00the, the origami group, I signed up and they were very welcoming for me to come.

EL: And I guess I'm curious to know, when you, when you meet people within this community do you feel any need to explain your own family narrative?

EM: I think when I was younger, there was kind of like a, a shame for like the, the amount of Japanese culture--or the amount of distance that I've had with Japanese culture, and making excuses like "Oh well my, my parents didn't raise me much with it" or "There are other priorities" or "I was busy with other stuff." And even though I think it is sad that I've, I've lost touch with a bit of Japanese culture, I think I've come to terms with it and I'm--mostly because 00:16:00as of now I'm trying to get back into it. That I think posture of re-engagement kind of helps me feel more comfortable with being, yeah being in the Japanese American community.

EL: So what are some of the things that you've done to try and re-engage or reclaim this piece of your heritage?

EM: I think one, definitely language study, in the summers I try to do whatever programs I can to bring back the vocabulary and the grammar, and listening to more Japanese music and intentionally buying recipes where I'll be cooking Japanese foods to kind of hold onto those cultural aspects. Also, looking back more into history, especially Japanese Christian history as Christianity is a big part of my identity, and I know that it's been seen as maybe antithetical, 00:17:00or somewhat unnatural to Japanese culture. Even though there's kinda a not so well known about history of Christianity in Japan, so to study more about figures such as Toyohiko Kagawa, have been kind of, some of those other ways.

EL: As you were growing up, did you know very many other mixed race, specifically other Japanese mixed with another race, families or children?

EM: Mmm, not that I can think of, yeah I think, yeah growing up, very little exposure.

EL: And, especially when you were living in, in the less diverse location, did you ever experience bias or prejudice that you were aware of as a child?

EM: I think yes, but in, in a good way, where people made the uneducated 00:18:00stereotypes that oh, just because I'm Asian I'm smart, or I know karate so don't mess with him. Or...Being, being different or unique, in that context was looked at as a good thing or like a cool thing, so in, in that situation it played toward my benefit. Even though I understand that for a lot of other people it normally plays towards their own downfall. So I was privileged in that area.

EL: Do you think that your parents are able to fully grasp your experiences growing up in this country being half?

EM: I haven't thought about that question before. To one extent I would say, at least minimally, because they both know what it's like to be an outsider in a 00:19:00majority culture. Maybe to the extent that not being a--or not having a full sense of belonging to either side, I--I don't think they could real--identify much with that. Because, yeah while my mom was in America she could still fully relate to the American expats or even Americans back at home and same for my dad with the Japanese. And so yeah, for myself I think the, one of the unique feelings is not necessarily feeling like I fit into both, but when there is another Japanese American there's that connection kind of maybe brings us closer in a, I don't know, odd mystical way.

EL: There are a lot of words they get used to--to describe people who are mixed 00:20:00race like us. Sometimes we refer to ourselves as half, or hafu, sometimes, sometimes it's double, right? Some people use the term hapa, do any of those terms resonate with you?

EM: To some extent, my, my dad would jokingly say "Don't let anybody call you half." So from that I picked up that it was kind of more of a derogatory term. And so maybe in like self-deprecating jokes I would refer to myself as half. And then the, the peers that I were around there weren't very culturally aware, or aware of diversity and the reality, so it would be much easier to call myself just Japanese rather than white or Japanese American mhmm.

EL: And do you think your specific geographic location had a big impact on the 00:21:00types of experiences you had?

EM: In comparison to others I--I would say so. If I was in maybe rural South America I might experience more-- I don't know, more of a feeling of outcast or not, not belonging, or maybe if I was on West Coast, maybe I would see a lot more Japanese Americans and be more exposed to that culture.

EL: This might seem a strange question, but I'm just curious to know if you've ever wondered what your life would have been like if your parents had chosen to stay in Japan?

EM: Hmm, I haven't thought about that, yeah. 'Cause I very much appreciate my experiences in the US, and definitely there's been a lot of blessings from it and benefits from it. I definitely see that it would be different, and... Yeah 00:22:00so, when y--I, I don't think I would have as much exposure to the Hispanic or Arab communities that I've had here if I were to be in Japan. I think a lot of the American mentalities or cultural values I probably wouldn't be so understanding of if I were to grow up in Japan. So, I think those are some things that come to mind.

EL: And do you still feel very connected to your family that's in Japan?

EM: Yeah, yeah we even have a group chat and so actually--maybe a month or t--yeah about a month ago my grandfather passed away from my Japanese side of the family. And even then we're--I think yeah, all the more communicative, but, yeah we still send each other emails, or follow each other on social media. And 00:23:00that's more of a surface, surface level way of connection, but then there's also like the phone calls and relaying messages through other people and taking visits, mhmm.

EL: What motivated you to participate in this oral history project?

EM: I thought, yeah, just to... To share another, or let myself be a data point reference. I--yeah I'm not sure how much significance or relevance my story would have for, for anybody but for whatever it's worth, I thought to offer it.

EL: And specifically with regard to the Japanese American Service Committee, you mentioned to me that you've been receiving the emails, with announcements of things going on and that this is one of the, the first times that you've taken 00:24:00the step of engaging, right? And I'm curious to know, what would you like to see from specifically JASC, but also the larger Japanese American community moving forward?

EM: I think yeah part--partly my, my answer would be ignorant since I haven't seen all that JASC does. From, from the reports that I see or different stuff on social media and through the emails, I think they do a lot so I'm impressed by their activity and grateful for their intentionality. Maybe, maybe some more collaboration with different groups in Uptown in specific, I think would help promote JASC, help their presence be known more, and maybe open up more 00:25:00opportunities for them to be part of the community and serve and impact the community.

EL: And then I guess my, my final question is what do you most want people to know or understand about you and your life experiences?

EM: Mmm, I'm, I'm definitely a product of my environment, but there's been so much undeserved goodness that I received from--and I, I truly, truly have to be humble. Because yeah, everything that I've received is a gift, and that my-- Yeah my, my Christian perspective of having God as the center and being able to relate through Jesus is very transformative for myself. I know that not 00:26:00everybody is into religion and not necessarily favorable to it, but I think that's been the, the biggest impactor of my life.

EL: I think we've covered most of the questions that I had prepared ahead of time, but I wanted to leave space for you in case there was anything that you felt we hadn't yet talked about, that you would like an opportunity to share.

EM: Mmm, yeah nothing, yeah nothing really comes to mind.

EL: Okay, then I think we'll conclude the interview there.

EM: Okay.