Stuff contributed by esnewman

Yoshitaro Amano, Canal Zone Resident and Prisoner #203 - Part 4

Esther Newman

Part 3 >>On the evening of December 7, 1941, Amano recalled ordering his two Panamanian maids to bring whiskey and three glasses.  He poured for the three of them and offered a toast to Japan’s victory and a toast to his love of Panama.  On impulse, he grabbed the Japanese …

Yoshitaro Amano, Canal Zone Resident and Prisoner #203 - Part 3

Esther Newman

Part 2 >>Amano confirmed that military personnel did more than mistreat prisoners for entertainment; they gathered intelligence in concert with the FBI.  Amano revealed in his statements that his highly suspect activities and defiant attitude made him a target.  While captive, the Americans identified Amano only by the number on …

Yoshitaro Amano, Canal Zone Resident and Prisoner #203 - Part 2

Esther Newman

Part 1 >>In a July 1941 meeting, representatives from both the Department of Justice and the Department of War formalized injunctions that barred enemy aliens from restricted areas such as the Canal Zone, and forbade possession of firearms, ammunition, cameras, short wave radio receivers, and signaling devices. Fishing boats frequently …

Yoshitaro Amano, Canal Zone Resident and Prisoner #203 - Part 1

Esther Newman

My grandfather, Yoshitaro Amano, was one of the more than two thousand Japanese Latin Americans seized abroad, shipped to the United States, and interned without charge during World War II. For a graduate research project on this topic, I read Seiichi Higashide’s memoir, Adios to Tears and watched Casey Peak’s …

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About

Esther Newman moved from Encinitas CA to Hawaii in 2016. After a career in marketing and media production for Ohio’s Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, she completed an M.A. in twentieth century American history, concentrating on Latin American Japanese during WWII. Her interests include topics affecting the Japanese Diaspora: internment, migration, assimilation and preserving cultural identity.

Nikkei interests

  • community history
  • family stories

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