Michoko Oka, a hostess at Ebisu Japanese Tavern in Little Tokyo, moved to the states by herself- leaving behind her family, friends and the only life she knew in her hometown of Nagoya City, Japan.
Before moving she was a student, and now, she says, it is difficult to afford to live in the U.S.- especially in Los Angeles.
“Your culture- the way of thought is totally different- it’s really interesting,” she said.
“Especially because we work with Hispanic people from Mexico and El Salvador at the restaurant.”
Oka never had the opportunity to interact and become familiar with Hispanic culture prior to moving to America.