Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/656/

A teenager's memories of how a local newspaper misrepresented Japanese Americans

Back in 19... I think that was about '37, we used to have what you call a neighborhood gangs, we were like in our early teens, ten, twelve, thirteen in that area. And each neighborhood used to have their little turf that they covered. And right behind the City, City Light, there was an open vacant lot because it was unstable ground and they never fixed that area because of the slide. And we used to have slingshot fights, and we used to have maybe fifteen, twenty, thirty of each gang get together and we have a slingshot fight. And one day, I remember, the Seattle P-I came over and took pictures of us, and we thought, “Oh, this is great, we're going to be in the newspaper.” But I think the caption read that “The Japanese are, Japan is training the little kids to be future soldiers for Japan,” or something to that effect. When they start writing things like that you just take another view of what's going on.


discrimination interpersonal relations

Date: July 25, 1997

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Larry Hashima, Stephen Fugita

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Nisei male. Born 1925 in Seattle, Washington. Spent prewar childhood in Seattle's Nihonmachi. 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. (July 25, 1997)

Kosaki,Richard

Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor

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

Kosaki,Richard

Change in attitudes after World War II

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

Shibayama,Art

Thoughts on the post-9/11 atmosphere in the U.S.

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

Shimomura,Roger

Grandfather's arrival in the U.S., experiencing discrimination

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor

Shimomura,Roger

Dealing with racism within army unit in Korea

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor

Shimomura,Roger

Collection of artifacts depicting racial stereotypes influences art

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor

Yamasaki,Frank

Encountering racial discrimination at a public swimming pool

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

Yamasaki,Frank

Making the decision to resist the draft

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

Sasaki,Fred

Anti-Japanese sentiment at the time of World War II

(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada

Naito,Sam

Undergraduate studies interrupted following Pearl Harbor

(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores

Naito,Sam

Difficulty getting work during World War II

(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores

Terasaki,Paul

His experiences in Chicago after WWII

(b.1929) Pioneer medical researcher in tissue transfer and organ transplantation.

Inahara,Toshio

Classified 4C - enemy alien

(b. 1921) Vascular surgeon

Azumano,George

Discharged from the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel

Kato,Alfredo

Post-war experiences in Lima (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist