My husband and me in Kyoto (Jan. 1988)

On Being Mistaken for the Other Japanese-American Writer in Town: Not the Rant You’re Expecting

The other day I ran into an acquaintance in town. We don’t know each other well and hadn’t seen each other in several months, so I reminded her of my name. “Yes, of course!” she said. “Didn’t your book just come out?” I laughed. “No, not yet.” And then it clicked. “You’re thinking of Brenda Nakamoto,” I said. “Oh, you’re right!” she said. We both laughed, then shared a few pleasantries before going our separate ways. I know people who would have been offended by this encounter. There goes another white person thinking all Asians look alike and are interchangeable, etc. ...