Akemi Fushimi

何でやねん⁈ What the hell?! Lyca, the Shark-lady with impeccable archaic Japanese, said my parents aren't my parents. I know who I am, I know where I'm from. ~ I'm a third generation American - 三世 Sansei. My grandparents immigrated from Kyoto, Japan after the end of WWII. Specialized doctors, they were first a part of the Japanese National Institute of Health then joined the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission coming to the US in the 60s to study and help the American Hibakusha - the Atomic bomb-affected people. Their dedication to help others is what inspired me to also become a doctor. My grandparents' name was Suzuki, but US immigration confused our home neighborhood address with our last name and renamed us 'Fushimi'. My grandparents would rather remember where they were from than fight with INS to regain their name.   My mother's family - Tanaka おばちゃん Obaachan was sent back at 8yrs old to get a proper Japanese Education in 1939, getting stuck there when the war broke out. The rest of her family was sent to Heart Mountain Internment camp. By the time Obaachan came back to America she'd forgotten most of her English and her family, disallowed from speaking Japanese while at Heart Mountain, had forgotten most of their Japanese. Tanaka Obaachan never did regain her English properly.   All of my grandparents were thrilled beyond measure when my parents met at University in Kyoto. They were married and lived there for a while until my mother was pregnant with me; They returned home to ensure I'd be born here, a true-blue American. ~ The detective (Sibuna was it?) is driving back to DC, leaving me to my thoughts. I pulled out my phone to message my my mother. “母さん､ひさしぶりね。すぐにでんわで話しましょう。” 'Mom, it's been too long. Let’s chat on the phone soon.'     ~~~~ おばちゃん Obaachan means Grandma   Symbolism notes: Tanaka means "in the middle of the rice patty" Suzuki means "the ears of rice piled up"   Inari is the Kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea and sake, of agriculture and industry, of general prosperity and worldly success.