Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/686/

Memories of railroad workers who stayed at family's prewar hotel in Spokane, Washington

And quite often, the workers would come in, and my mother was the one that was working in the hotel, and my dad was working at Great Northern, so he wasn't home during this period, time element. And the WPA CCC people would come in and give my mother, they used to call her “Mama,” you know, like I used to call my mother. And would give her a big steelhead trout that they somehow captured in the streams that they were working in, in the mountains. And I remember several instances where the steelhead were, it seems to me they were in the eight, ten, twelve pound range. Large trout. And naturally we ate it. They were good enough to remember my mother and I guess we just all got along real well.


families hotels railroads

Date: March 15 & 16, 2006

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Megan Asaka

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Nisei male. Born 1923 in Spokane, Washington. Spent childhood in downtown Spokane where parents ran the World Hotel. Father also worked as a mail handler for the Great Northern Railroad. Attended Lewis and Clark High School and Washington State University. During the war remembers seeing train cars pass through Spokane with Japanese Americans headed to Heart Mountain incarceration camp, Wyoming. Drafted into the army in 1944 and served at the Military Intelligence Service Language School in Fort Snelling, Minnesota and Presidio, California. After World War II, worked as a chick sexer in upstate New York and surrounding region for thirty years. Returned to Spokane in the mid-1970s and pursued a career in real estate. Currently lives with wife, Susie, in Spokane and is an active fly fisherman. (March 16, 2006 )

Wally Kaname Yonamine
en
ja
es
pt
Yonamine,Wally Kaname

His parents' experience with Japanese resistance toward intermarriage with Okinawans

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

en
ja
es
pt
Wally Kaname Yonamine
en
ja
es
pt
Yonamine,Wally Kaname

Working in cane fields as teenager to supplement family income

(b.1925) Nisei of Okinawan descent. Had a 38-year career in Japan as a baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

en
ja
es
pt
Richard Kosaki
en
ja
es
pt
Kosaki,Richard

Growing up in Waikiki

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

en
ja
es
pt
Pat Adachi
en
ja
es
pt
Adachi,Pat

Relationship with my father

(b. 1920) Incarcerated during World War II. Active member of the Japanese Canadian community

en
ja
es
pt
Kimi Wakabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Wakabayashi,Kimi

Arranged marriage

(b.1912) Japanese Canadian Issei. Immigrated with husband to Canada in 1931

en
ja
es
pt
Shizuko Kadoguchi
en
ja
es
pt
Kadoguchi,Shizuko

Marrying Bob against family’s wishes

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

en
ja
es
pt
Enson Inoue
en
ja
es
pt
Inoue,Enson

Growing up in a Japanese American family

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

en
ja
es
pt
Enson Inoue
en
ja
es
pt
Inoue,Enson

Tracing my family crest

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

en
ja
es
pt
Toshio Inahara
en
ja
es
pt
Inahara,Toshio

Family background

(b. 1921) Vascular surgeon

en
ja
es
pt
Toshio Inahara
en
ja
es
pt
Inahara,Toshio

Driving 1930 Ford at age 12

(b. 1921) Vascular surgeon

en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa
en
ja
es
pt
Yuzawa,George Katsumi

Death of sister in October 1942

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

en
ja
es
pt
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
en
ja
es
pt
Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Impact of Pearl Harbor on her family

(b. 1934) Writer

en
ja
es
pt
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
en
ja
es
pt
Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Initial impact on life at camp

(b. 1934) Writer

en
ja
es
pt
Roy Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Hirabayashi,Roy

Celebrating traditional Japanese New Years with family

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

en
ja
es
pt
Roy Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Hirabayashi,Roy

Learning Japanese at school and at home with family

(b.1951) Co-founder and managing director of San Jose Taiko.

en
ja
es
pt