Keiji Asakura oral history interview and transcript

This recording and transcript form part of a collection of oral history interviews conducted by the Chao Center for Asian Studies at Rice University. This collection includes audio recordings and transcripts of interviews with Asian Americans native to or living in Houston.

Citation

Asakura, Keiji, interview by Diaz, Valerie and Franco, Emerita Geraldine. April 05, 2014. Houston Asian American Archives oral history interviews, MS 573, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/76238.

Abstract

Keiji Asakura was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1953. In 1969 (age 15), he moved to Santa Ana, California to live with his aunt. He got his Bachelor’s degree from California State University in Landscape Architecture and was hired by the SWA Group. In 1982 (age 28), he moved to Houston after being asked by his employer, the SWA group, to move to their Houston branch. At the age of 30, Mr. Asakura started his own company and became self-employed. Throughout his professional career, he has been involved in various business associations such as the Japanese American Society, Houston, Japanese American Citizens League, Houston Sister City Advisory, American Society of Landscape Architects, US Green Building Council, Keep Houston Beautiful, and Congress for the New Urbanism. Community organizations Mr. Asakura belongs to include the City of Houston Planning Commission, Houston Arts Alliance Civic Arts Committee, City of Houston Airport Commission, Blueprint Houston, Scenic Houston, and Botanic Garden Houston Advisory.

Keyword

assimilation; community involvement; multicultural children; World War, 1939-1945; cultural adaptation; More... social activities

Publisher

Rice University