Sen Nishiyama says that translating one language into another is "a dangerous field to get into. You need plenty of insurance." He took his first steps into this dangerous field more than 60 years ago. He was a pioneer in the simultaneous interpreting of Japanese and English more than 50 years ago. Sen is now 90 years of age, a slim, upright man with a strong voice, a clear memory and a fund of vivid stories of situations into which his languages led him.
He was born in Salt Lake City, where his name was registered as William Sen Nishiyama. Japanese was the main language spoken at his home. As a child he was often brought by his mother on visits to Japan, where he improved his conversational Japanese. After graduation in electrical engineering from the University of Utah, he became a teaching assistant at the university. He took his master's degree in 1934, the year his father died.
"My mother decided to bring my father's ashes back to Japan," Sen said. "There were no jobs available in electrical engineering or electronics in the United States as depression and racial limitations closed opportunities, so I accompanied her. I was amazed at the culture and art in Japan, and impressed by the kind treatment we received. I was hired as a technician in the Electrotechnical Laboratory, and since this was a Japanese government job I decided to apply for naturalization. I became a Japanese citizen."