Portraits of Oregon - Rei

I'm Rei. "Pronounced like Ray, it's the Japanese spelling."

I identify as Japanese. But I've learned to say, "I'm FROM Japan," because "I'm Japanese" is risky. It can mess with people's brains.

Still, last week in a Eugene bar, I was met with a confused "....really???" which I gotta answer with: "my dad's from Philly."

Sometimes, I wonder what my personality would have been like if my parents didn't intervene when I was called a "foreigner," first day of elementary school in Osaka. Their slide show presentation of Philadelphia in front of the entire school catapulted me from "Other" into a "Super Star!" status.

Or when I moved to Eugene at age 8, unable to speak English, if Parker Elementary School hadn't jumped at the opportunity to do a "Japan Week," learning Japanese songs and performing traditional Japanese theater, again catapulting me into "Super Star" status.

Would I have thought it's even POSSIBLE to start a band in Eugene, tour Japan, get signed to a major label there, host bilingual TV shows, model, move back to Eugene at age 38 and receive a Grammy Nomination as a music producer? Would I have picked up the camera during the pandemic, "knowing" I can eventually help others tell their stories in a powerful way? Would I have met Kenji? Would you be reading this?

One thing is for sure: I'd probably be wearing a different hat (see photo).

Rei Mastrogiovanni