Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/220/

Influence of veterans

The World War II, I think that made it possible for many of the AJAs in America, in the United States, here in Hawaii…to be able to rise to the cause, that made it possible for them to prove their loyalty to their country. And they did it in very superlative fashion. The way it impacted me was, I was too young to become part of that group. But, I got impacted by what they tried to do when they returned. They not only fought in the battlefield, but they came back and wanted to fight as civilians—wanted to have a better life, a more fair life, for every person in the United States. And as a result, I became part of that group. And I think I was greatly helped by the efforts of those veterans who had come back to want to create a more fair and more just society.


armed forces retired military personnel veterans World War II

Date: December 15, 2003

Location: Hawai`i, US

Interviewer: Art Hansen

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.

Interviewee Bio

George Ariyoshi was born in Honolulu in 1926. He overcame a childhood speech defect to enter the Military Intelligence Service language school after World War II and served the United States in Tokyo’s ruins. Returning home from occupied Japan, he moved to Michigan where he received undergraduate and law degrees.

He married Jean Hayashi in Hawai`i and, between 1954 and 1986, held elective offices there as a Democrat. He served three terms as Hawai`i’s governor, the first Japanese American nationwide to govern a state. By his own definition, Governor Ariyoshi was “a social liberal and a fiscal conservative.” The title of his 1997 memoir, With Obligation to All, summed up his personal and political philosophies. (December 2003)

Mako Nakagawa
en
ja
es
pt
Nakagawa,Mako

Living conditions at Crystal City, Texas

(1937 - 2021) Teacher

en
ja
es
pt
Mako Nakagawa
en
ja
es
pt
Nakagawa,Mako

Thoughts on relationship between Japanese Peruvians and Japanese Americans at Crystal City, Texas

(1937 - 2021) Teacher

en
ja
es
pt
Margaret Oda
en
ja
es
pt
Oda,Margaret

Father interrogated by FBI, but not taken away

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

en
ja
es
pt
Roberto Hirose
en
ja
es
pt
Hirose,Roberto

The political effects on Nikkei during the war (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

en
ja
es
pt
John Naka
en
ja
es
pt
Naka,John

Avoiding the Japanese military

(1914-2004) Nisei Bonsai master in the United States

en
ja
es
pt
Gordon Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Hirabayashi,Gordon

A Dutiful Son

(1918-2012) Fought the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066.

en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim
en
ja
es
pt
Kim,Young O.

Horrible pictures of war

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim
en
ja
es
pt
Kim,Young O.

Comfortable in combat

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

en
ja
es
pt
Young O. Kim
en
ja
es
pt
Kim,Young O.

Commitments for a better life

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

en
ja
es
pt
Harry Schneider
en
ja
es
pt
Schneider,Harry

Reception of Hamako by family

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

en
ja
es
pt
Terry Janzen
en
ja
es
pt
Janzen,Terry

Memories of Poston

(b. 1930) Half Japanese and grew up in both Japan and the United States.

en
ja
es
pt
Terry Janzen
en
ja
es
pt
Janzen,Terry

Arriving at Poston

(b. 1930) Half Japanese and grew up in both Japan and the United States.

en
ja
es
pt
Virgil Westdale
en
ja
es
pt
Westdale,Virgil

522nd and Dachau

(1918-2022) Hapa World War II veteran, pilot

en
ja
es
pt
Virgil Westdale
en
ja
es
pt
Westdale,Virgil

Fellow Hapa 442 Hana

(1918-2022) Hapa World War II veteran, pilot

en
ja
es
pt
Francesca Yukari Biller
en
ja
es
pt
Biller,Francesca Yukari

Writing a novel on the 442nd

Jewish Japanese American journalist

en
ja
es
pt