# Cómo viajar en el tiempo a través de cartas | Paula Hoyos Hattori | TEDxRiodelaPlata Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMPjkkwCe_E Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/wMPjkkwCe_E Generated: 2026-03-02T18:07:21.812+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Paula Hoyos Hattori shares a deeply personal story about connecting with her past, specifically the legacy of her Japanese immigrant grandfather who traveled from Japan to Lomas de Zamora, Argentina, in 1970, and the enduring impact of the letters he wrote, which she and her family now use as a means of time travel and connection. **Key Points:** - Paula Hoyos Hattori connects with her heritage by reading excerpts from letters written by her Japanese immigrant grandfather, Francisco Petraca, who arrived in Argentina in 1970. - The grandfather traveled from Japan to Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires, a journey that took 34 hours by plane and involved crossing the Atlantic and Pampa regions. - The letters, written in the 16th century style, served as a form of 'time machine' and a means for the grandfather to communicate his experiences and the existence of a network of Jesuit missionaries. - The speaker highlights the emotional significance of the letters, contrasting her grandfather's arduous journeys with the modern ease of travel, emphasizing that the letters helped them understand the past. - She describes her grandfather as a man of 'white hair, prominent nose, and wrinkled hands' who, despite his advanced age, undertook significant journeys. - The family used these letters to understand their roots and connect with the stories of their ancestors, including those who traveled across oceans without the current technology. - Hoyos Hattori concludes by emphasizing the power of words and the connection forged through these historical communications, which helped her family understand themselves better. ![Screenshot at 00:12: Paula Hoyos Hattori introduces the topic by mentioning the letters of the Italian poet from the 1300s, setting the stage for her discussion on historical correspondence.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wMPjkkwCe_E/00-00-12.jpg) **Context:** Paula Hoyos Hattori delivers a TEDx talk at TEDxRiodelaPlata, focusing on the profound personal connection she found by studying letters written by her Japanese immigrant grandfather, Francisco Petraca. Petraca immigrated to Argentina in 1970, and his correspondence, written in an archaic style, revealed stories of early Japanese settlers and Jesuit missionaries, effectively bridging the gap between generations and continents through written communication. ## Detailed Analysis Paula Hoyos Hattori opens her talk by referencing the Italian poet Petrarch (1300s) and his letters, which revolutionized the perception of time, before pivoting to her own family history. She recounts meeting her Japanese immigrant grandfather, Francisco Petraca, who arrived in Argentina in 1970 at age 81, having traveled from Japan to Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires. This journey involved crossing oceans and the Pampa region. The letters Petraca sent back were crucial in maintaining connection and conveying experiences, including the existence of a network established by Jesuit missionaries in the 16th century who were evangelizing in Japan. These letters, written in an archaic style, served as a 'time machine' for the family, allowing them to connect with their past and understand the sacrifices made by their ancestors who traveled without modern amenities. She contrasts her grandfather's difficult journey with the ease of modern travel, highlighting the importance of these preserved words. The speaker, who is of mixed heritage (Japanese grandfather, Argentine mother), shares that she, her mother, aunt, and other family members all share this common thread of migration and connection across time, ultimately realizing that the act of communication itself—the writing and reading of letters—was a powerful, fragile, yet potent way to preserve memory and identity. ### Introduction and Petrarch Reference - I come today to talk to you about conversation with an Italian poet from the 1300s, Francisco Petraca, who revolutionized the way we think about time - I bring up a personal friend, Francisco Petraca, who taught literature of the Renaissance. ### The Grandfather's Journey and Letters - Petraca found in a forgotten shelf a volume with Cicero's letters, which were thought lost for centuries - He wrote a series of letters to explain his emotion, including one describing his journey from Japan to Lomas de Zamora 45 years after his arrival. ### Content of the Letters - The letters described the journeys of European travelers, the failure of expeditions, and the existence of Jesuit networks in Asia who documented new lands and customs - The letters also mentioned his grandfather arriving in Japan 34 hours before the plane took off for Santiago, and the reality of the Japanese-Argentine connection. ### Family Connection and Legacy - The speaker's grandfather, born in Lomas de Zamora in 1929, was a man with white hair and wrinkled hands who traveled the world - The letters revealed that the grandfather's journeys, like those of the Jesuits, were acts of connection and exploration, which inspired the family to continue seeking understanding of their past. ### Conclusion - I think what all these conversations have in common is the power of the word to travel across time - The speaker concludes by stating that she is optimistic because we have the technology to continue building bridges between the past and the present. ![Screenshot at 00:04: TEDxRíodelaPlata event branding displayed before the speaker begins her presentation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wMPjkkwCe_E/00-00-04.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:17: The speaker standing on stage with a large projection behind her displaying historical script, likely from Petrarch's letters.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wMPjkkwCe_E/00-00-17.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:39: The projection changes to display an ancient map titled 'TYPVS ORBIS TERRARVM' while the speaker discusses the explorers' journeys.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wMPjkkwCe_E/00-00-39.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:51: The background projection shifts again to display a large image of a handwritten letter, highlighting the physical evidence of correspondence.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wMPjkkwCe_E/00-01-51.jpg) ![Screenshot at 08:20: A photograph showing two figures walking down a dirt road towards a small train station, illustrating the grandfather's journey to Lomas de Zamora.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/wMPjkkwCe_E/00-08-20.jpg)