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May 26, 2024 · This video celebrates the timeless wisdom, unforgettable moments, and the unique karate teachings of the beloved mentor portrayed by the legendary Pat Morita.
- 10 min
- 7.8K
- Piece of the Action
Jul 3, 2019 · A landmark of Asian and Asian-American representation debuted 35 years ago this summer. But where are the Asian-Americans in its YouTube spin-off? By Sonia Saraiya. July 3, 2019. Ralph Macchio...
- Sonia Saraiya
Pat Morita discusses getting cast as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid. See the full interview at http://emmytvlegends.org/interviews/p...
- 7 min
- 5.8M
- FoundationINTERVIEWS
Jun 11, 2024 · Miyagi won our hearts as the kindly sensei, and the role earned Noriyuki “Pat” Morita (1932-2005) a nomination for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. But did you know that Mr. Miyagi was based on a...
- He Grew Up with Nothing
- He Almost Lost His Life
- Doctors Terrified Him
- He Would Never Walk Again
- He Had A Hard Childhood
- He Got His New Name
- He Beat The Odds
- He Became A Public Enemy
- His Parents Became Strangers
- School Bored Him
The son of Japanese immigrant fruit farmers, Morita grew up with very little. He, along with his family, travelled from farm to farm in California, picking up work wherever they could. They lived in small houses that were often dirty and infested with vermin, making illness and infections rampant. It was amidst these dire conditions that Morita’s l...
At two years old, a young Morita was playing with his favorite toy when he fell and bruised his lumbar. This wouldn’t be much of an issue today, but in the unsanitary conditions that Morita was living in, infection quickly set in—he contracted spinal tuberculosis, a dreaded disease. For days, the young boy battled fever and pain, drifting in and ou...
Even though Morita was clearly very sick, he and his family refused to see a doctor. Suspicious and scared of doctors, they couldn’t afford to see one even if they wanted to go. But soon, they had no choice. After watching Morita suffer for days, the owners of the ranch finally ordered the Moritas to take their son to a nearby charitable hospital. ...
According to doctors at the Weimar Institute, Morita was not going to make it and even if he somehow did, he would never walk again. With their hands tied, all Morita’s parents could do was pray for a miracle. Somehow, they got one. Morita's case caught the attention of health officials at a cutting-edge hospital in San Francisco. They moved the bo...
Morita spent most of his childhood at the hospital. The illness left him completely bedridden, and he spent the majority of his life—from ages two to 11—in a full body cast. Unable to move without aid, the poor boy spent most of his time in bed, with little to occupy himself with, besides from having the odd conversation with the people in the hosp...
Being the only non-religious, Japanese kid in the entire hospital meant Morita often felt lonely. It was during this time that a visiting priest named Father O’Connor took to Morita and tried to lift his spirits. One day, he jokingly told Morita that if he managed to convert him, he would rename Morita to “Patrick Aloysius Ignatius Xavier Noriyuki ...
As Morita’s body began to heal, he slowly started to move without help. At age nine, Morita began learning how to walk again. It was a long, painful, and frustrating process, but Morita clearly wasn’t the type to let an illness hold him back. In the end, Morita persevered and, against all odds, eventually began walking normally again. At age 11, th...
In the midst of the 1940s, the fear of the Japanese living on American soil gripped the country. In response, the government set up internment camps as a way to keep the Japanese away from the rest of society. Morita and his parents were no exception to these cruel policies—they had to give up all their belongings and relocate to the Gila River int...
Morita spent the first four days after rejoining his parents in tears. After practically growing up in the hospital, he missed the facility terribly. Leaving the nurses and other patients had left “a big hole in [his] heart,” that his parents couldn’t quite fill. Even worse, Morita lost his fluency in Japanese, and couldn’t communicate with them an...
After the government released Morita's family from the internment camp, Morita attended high school in Fairfield, California. Morita didn’t exactly take to schooling—he would much rather goof off. But after his English teacher told him he had potential, Morita got to work and even got a college scholarship. However, Morita wouldn't be able to atten...
Mar 22, 2021 · Pat Morita became internationally famous for playing The Karate Kid's Mr. Miyagi, but you probably don't know about the struggles that defined his life.
People also ask
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Jan 13, 2021 · Oscar-nominated actor Pat Morita, best known for his role as Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid, is celebrated in a new documentary, More Than Miyagi. Love Project Films released the trailer on Youtube on January 8, 2021, 15 years after Morita's death at the age of 73.
