Growing Up Sansei in Chicago
Growing Up Sansei in ChicagoChicago is not the first place people think of when it comes to Japanese American communities. But after World War II, the city became a destination for resettlers looking for jobs and a fresh start. Just like in other cities, the Nisei opened businesses, started churches and raised families. The Chicago Japanese American experience may be overlooked, but to the people who grew up there, it was a unique and exceptional experience. Keith Uchima grew up in Chicago after the war. He is the Sansei son of a mother from Manzanar and a father from Hawaii who left for the mainland to attend school. Uchima reflects on growing up during a time when he didn’t know he was poor and the neighborhood kids came in all colors. For him, life in the '60s is filled with memories of softball at Grant Park, Boy Scout outings to Camp Owasippe and dipping into the drink tub at the Resettler’s Picnic. Uchima, a writer, producer and performer in the entertainment industry, is able to share his memories in an article for the Chicago Japanese American Historical Society’s website. Read his article (Growing Up Sansei in Chicago) and share your comments in the Community Forum. What are some of your favorite childhood memories of the community you grew up in? Will our uniqueness dissolve into the American fabric with the fourth and fifth generations? --Editor, Discover Nikkei Photo courtesy of the Chicago Japanese American Historical Society It was great reading Keith's story about growing up in Chicago. If it weren't for the camps and relocation there probably wouldn't have been a Japanese American community here in Chicago. I'm glad he wrote his story now while some of the original settlers can enjoy his reminiscing about the past. I think a lot of kids weren't aware of their parents struggle. The Nisei generation worked hard to give their children an innocent childhood despite their own hardships. It's amazing how quickly they organized activities and built a community out of nothing after the war!  I also really enjoyed reading Keith Uchima's stories of his youth in Chicago. You really get a sense of what it was like from these little vignettes. They paint such a vivid picture which makes it all the more sad that most of that is gone. I forwarded the link to a couple of friends who grew up in Chicago. Both really enjoyed it as well. I hope that it inspires others to write about their own experiences to share through this site. |
I truly enjoyed reading, "Growing Up Sansei in Chicago," by Keith Uchima. I've always wondered how life was like for Japanese Americans growing up in other parts of the USA and especially those families that resettled elsewhere following being evacuated and relocated during WWII. Uchima gave an entertaining insight into his family's successful resettlement. The parallels to some of my Sansei life are shared with his and makes me feel a kinship.