Teuffel Crowned Nisei Week Queen
By GWEN MURANAKA
RAFU ENGLISH EDITOR IN CHIEF
Sunday, Aug. 19, 2007

Photos by MARIO G. REYES/Rafu Shimpo
Newly crowned Nisei Week Queen Monika Taniguchi Teuffel
walks the stage at the Japan America Theatre on Saturday.

Teuffel, right, reacts as her named is called as the 2007 Nisei Week Queen. From left, are Mandy Kusumoto, Jennifer Minami and Yoshie Okada.

Monika Taniguchi Teuffel, 23, representing the West Los Angeles Japanese
American Citizens League and Auxiliary and the Venice Japanese Community
Center, was crowned Nisei Week Queen at the 67th annual Nisei Week
Coronation on Saturday night.

Taniguchi Teuffel, a graduate of UC Irvine in International Studies, broke
into tears as her name was called out by emcees David Ono and Tamlyn
Tomita. Saki Uechi, 25, Little Tokyo Lions Club, was selected First
Princess and Christine Wai Lan Kimoto, 24, Orange County Nikkei
Coordinating Council, was named Miss Tomodachi. Other members of the 2007
Court are Princesses Mandy Michiko Kusumoto, Jennifer Kiku Minami, Yoshie
Margaret Okada and Saki Uechi.

“I grew up in the South Bay, so downtown is not very far away and Nisei
Week is something that I come out to with my parents every year. I can’t
even put it into words, it’s so great to be a part of the Nisei Week
festival now and to be really behind the scenes
throughout the year,” said Taniguchi Teuffel.

Her parents Burk and Yoshie Teuffel were there to support their daughter.
Burk, a retired ESL teacher, is a native of Germany; while Yoshie, a flute
teacher, comes from Saitama, Japan. Monika commented that she often speaks
“Japlish,” a combination of English and Japanese with her mom.

“The main thing is that Monika is reminded that both her parents grew up
in another country. If she just grows up like a regular American child,
she might lose the connections. By being involved in Nisei Week it really
brings back the roots,” Burk said.

Taniguchi Teuffel chose as her motto “Nana korobi, ya oki” which means,
seven times fall, eight times get up. She currently works for Mainstay
Business Solutions as an account manager and is also enrolled in the UCLA
Extension Architecture and Interior Design Program. Her hobbies include
traveling, photography and kickboxing.

“It’s one thing growing up biracial, it’s another thing to be growing up
first generation American, but for it to be all together, sometimes it is
a little confusing growing up but it enhances my identity even more,” she
said.

The audience of more than 700 applauded wildly as the Queen Candidates
first entered the Japan America Theatre stage dressed in traditional
Japanese kimono. Later the court performed a sexy dance number to Natasha
Bedingfield’s “Unwritten.”

Judges for this year’s coronation were Yuko Kaifu, former Japanese consul;
actress Gina Hiraizumi; Yasuyoshi Suzuki, Japanese Business Association of
Southern California; actor Brian Tee; and Iris Yamashita, Oscar-nominated
screenwriter for “Letters From Iwo Jima.”

Dressed in white ruffled Tadashi evening gowns, the candidates were each
asked to pick one word to describe Nisei Week. The candidates held hands
as Ono and Tomita called the names and embraced Taniguchi Teuffel when her
name was called. Liane Takano, 2006 Nisei Week Queen, helped place the
crown, robe and sash on Taniguchi Teuffel. The 2007 Nisei Week Court will
represent the Japanese American community at various functions throughout
the year, starting with the Nisei Week parade.

The Nisei Week queen said she’s looking forward to the year she’ll spend
with the court and the experiences they’ll share.

“It has been even more fun than I expected. On top of all the long hours
of training and events, we still can’t get enough of each other,”
Taniguchi Teuffel said.