Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1171/

Discrimination for Nisei doctors

I'm not positive, now, I'm sure you could research this yourself. But back then, even though you graduated medical school, lot of hospitals would not take you on as an intern. And even if you were hired as an intern, they paid, like, fifty dollars a month. I used to hear these numbers and they'd be yucking it up, you know. "Who could get along?" They were at the bottom of the totem pole. And if you're a "Jap," that's the least amount of chance you had. But because I think a lot of these Nisei doctors graduated maybe in the top so many percentage, but they didn't have a chance of being hired or brought on board.


discrimination generations hospitals internships interpersonal relations Japanese hospitals medicine Nisei

Date: September 21, 2009

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Tom Ikeda, Martha Nakagawa

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Nisei female. Born April 30, 1928, in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in Gardena and her father was a prominent medical physician in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. During World War II, removed to the Poston incarceration camp, Arizona. Left camp with family to work on a sugar beet farm in Colorado, and eventually returned to Los Angeles, where father reestablished medical practice. She passed away in November 2016 at the age of 88. (April 2020)

Paul Terasaki
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Terasaki,Paul

Developing the tray used in determining HLA types for tissue typing

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

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Paul Terasaki
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Terasaki,Paul

The HLA and transplantation history books

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

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Paul Terasaki
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Terasaki,Paul

Developing the micro test was the most important accomplishment

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

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Paul Terasaki
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Terasaki,Paul

Continuing to work to improve transplanting success

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

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Toshio Inahara
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Inahara,Toshio

Classified 4C - enemy alien

(b. 1921) Vascular surgeon

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Toshio Inahara
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Inahara,Toshio

Inahara shunt

(b. 1921) Vascular surgeon

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George Azumano
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Azumano,George

Discharged from the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel

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Alfredo Kato
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Kato,Alfredo

Post-war experiences in Lima (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

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Alfredo Kato
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Kato,Alfredo

Stereotypes about Japanese: past and present (Spanish)

(b. 1937) Professional journalist

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George Katsumi Yuzawa
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Yuzawa,George Katsumi

Reaction to a 1942 speech by Mike Masaoka, Japanese American Citizen League's National Secretary

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

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George Katsumi Yuzawa
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Yuzawa,George Katsumi

First impression of New York City during war time

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

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George Katsumi Yuzawa
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Yuzawa,George Katsumi

Neighbors' sympathy after Pearl Harbor

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

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Masako Iino
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Iino,Masako

Interest in Japanese migration studies (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history

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Mas Kodani
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Kodani,Mas

The performing arts not for Nisei

Senshin Buddhist Temple minister and co-founder of Kinnara Taiko.

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PJ Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,PJ

Experiencing discrimination as a child

Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko

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