Discovering Her True Self
TIME's Sachiko Sakamaki didn't realize she was Japanese -- until she moved to America at age 23
You may find this hard to understand but I didn't realize that I was Japanese until I went to America as a graduate student. I was born to Japanese parents, and grew up in Japan, but I didn't have a clear identity until that time.
I moved to San Diego, California, in 1983. I was aged 23. I made friends with people from around the globe: Thais, Koreans, Europeans, and Americans. And, to my surprise, through them I was able to see my true self for the very first time. With my yellow skin, black hair and slanted eyes, I realized then that I was Japanese, that I was Asian. I couldn't see that in Japan because everybody else had yellow skin, black hair and slanted eyes. (Back then, young people didn't dye their hair.)
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/japan_view/sakamaki.html