Issei - Notable Individuals

Notable Individuals

See also: List of Japanese Americans See also: Category:Japanese emigrants to the United States

The number of issei who have earned some degree of public recognition has continued to increase over time; but the quiet lives of those whose names are known only to family and friends are no less important in understanding the broader narrative of the nikkei. Although the names highlighted here are over-represented by issei from North America, the Latin American member countries of the Pan American Nikkei Association (PANA) include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, in addition to the English-speaking United States and Canada.

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
  • Kan'ichi Asakawa (1873 – 1948), academic, author, peace advocate, historian and librarian
  • Miki Gorman (1935 - ), a two-time winner of both the Boston and New York marathons
  • Midori Gotō (1971 - ), a violinist and recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize
  • Makoto Hagiwara (?-1925), a landscape designer often credited with having invented the fortune cookie
  • Sessue Hayakawa (1889–1973), an Academy Award-nominated actor
  • Mazie Hirono (1947 – ), an American politician
  • Rena Inoue (1976- ), a two-time U.S. National Champion pair skater
  • Shin Koyamada (1982 - ), a Hollywood film actor, philanthropist, entrepreneur and US martial arts champion
  • Fujitaro Kubota (1879 – 1973), an American gardener and philanthropist
  • Yoko Ono Lennon (1933 – ) artist and musician.
  • George Masa (1881–1933), activist in creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  • Hikaru Nakamura (1987 - ), an American chess Grandmaster and three time United States Chess Champion.
  • Yoichiro Nambu (1921 - ), a physicist and 2008 Nobel Laureate
  • Masi Oka (1974 – ), an Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominated American actor
  • George Shima (1864–1926), the first Japanese American millionaire.
  • Jokichi Takamine (1854 – 1922), a Japanese chemist and samurai
  • Takuji Yamashita (1874–1959), an early civil-rights campaigner

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