George Yamada

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

Memories of railroad workers who stayed at family's prewar hotel in Spokane, Washington Working as a night clerk at family's Spokane, Washington, hotel, throwing out the drunk residents Family's hotel clientele, transients traveling by rail Japanese American railroad workers are fired following the bombing of Pearl Harbor Losing job with railroad because of being Japanese American A racist encounter at a movie theater following the bombing of Pearl Harbor Encountering a train full of Japanese Americans being transported to a concentration camp Description of the process of chick sexing The rigorous work schedule of a chick-sexer in upstate New York The importance of speed and accuracy in the chick-sexing industry The enormous demand for chick sexers in the chicken hatchery industry

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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 )

family hotels railroad spokane discrimination FBI racism World War II camps incarceration chick sexing