Peggy Nagae grew up in Boring, Oregon, the second generation of her family to be born in the US. With other Japanese Americans, her parents and grandparents were incarcerated by the US government during World War II. Peggy’s mother, intent on putting that past behind her, frequently reminded her daughter to be quiet and polite, like the other nice Japanese American girls. But that wasn’t Peggy. She has defined who she really is with the choices she has made, often not easy ones.
I Am An American Live is a production of the award-winning nonprofit The Immigrant Story. The stories were presented live at First Congregational Church of Christ, Portland, OR on Saturday, November 11, 2022. This series of events is part of the programming by the Oregon Rises Above Hate coalition, with the aim of drawing attention to the historic xenophobia experienced by the Asian American community in Oregon and across the U.S. This free event is made possible by a generous contribution by Anne Naito-Campbell.