Student Film: Nihongo (20 min)
Director / Producer: Kae Seki
Cinematographer: Megumi Iwano
What heritage language means for Japanese Americans? Which language immigrant parents will give to their children is always a big issue? Because the language conditions the attitude of every life, cultural practice, social network, and people’s identity.
Japanese parents in the United States are eventually forced to make a decision which language they should give to their children. Some parents want their kids to learn Japanese, other parents want them to become more American.
The document team interviewed senior Japanese Americans who experienced the wartime internment during WWII, younger Japanese Americans who learn Japanese on the Internet, and young Japanese who came to the United State recently.
Nihongo explorers various ideas and thoughts on Japanese language education among Japanese and Japanese Americans in Los Angeles.