Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/389/

Encountering racial discrimination at a public swimming pool

I've had some horrendous experience, or shocking experience. I would forget that, you know, there are moments that you forget that we are racially different. And there was a time where Tony's parents had a stall at the Public Market and we would go there after some activities. And then there was one day that Tony and Vito and another fellow, it was hot, said, Hey, let's go swimming. The pool is right up here. Crystal Pool and we looked, at, it cost a dime so I said, Hey, that's a great idea.

So here we go, we, it was only a couple of blocks from the market, so we went there and they paid and I'm in line and when they came to me, they said no. They just, they didn't say, they just waved their hands and said, Out. And it just caught me by surprise. And the others, they were shocked. They didn't know, they couldn't understand, but I understood right away what it was about. And they, they start arguing with them, with the clerk there, or the cashier and at the same I was already halfway down the block.


discrimination interpersonal relations racism

Date: August 18, 1997

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Lori Hoshino, Stephen Fugita

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Nisei male. Born 1923 in Seattle, Washington. Spent prewar childhood in South Park and Belltown areas of Seattle. Incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka incarceration camp, Idaho. Refused to participate in draft, imprisoned at McNeil Island Penitentiary, Washington, for resisting the draft. Resettled in Seattle.

*The full interview is available Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Shigekawa, Sakaye

Traumatic experiences before camp

(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California

Shigekawa, Sakaye

“Everybody went in like sheep”

(1913-2013) Doctor specializing in obstetrics in Southern California

Kaji,Frances Midori Tashiro

Discrimination for Nisei doctors

(1928–2016) Daughter of an Issei doctor 

Kozawa,Sumiko

Experiencing prejudice after the war

(1916-2016) Florist

Tashima,A. Wallace

Being Denied as a Japanese American Lawyer

(b. 1934) The First Japanese American Appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals. 

Takei,George

Asian Stereotypes

(b. 1937) Actor, Activist

Calloway,Terumi Hisamatsu

Discrimination faced in San Francisco (Japanese)

(b. 1937) A war bride from Yokohama

Hirano,Paulo Issamu

Accepted by Japanese society as I learned more Japanese (Japanese)

(b. 1979) Sansei Nikkei Brazilian who lives in Oizumi-machi in Gunma prefecture. He runs his own design studio.

Yuki,Tom

Japanese were not welcomed back to Salinas

(b. 1935) Sansei businessman.

Fischer,Takayo

Being Confused about Racial Identity in Postwar United States

(b. 1932) Nisei American stage, film, and TV actress

Yamamoto,Mia

Understanding anti black racism in high school

(b. 1943) Japanese American transgender attorney

Yamamoto,Mia

Racial discrimination prepared her in becoming the first transgender trial lawyer

(b. 1943) Japanese American transgender attorney