Interviews
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.
Date: July 25, 1997
Location: Washington, US
Interviewer: Larry Hashima, Stephen Fugita
Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.
Explore More Videos
Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Change in attitudes after World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Thoughts on the post-9/11 atmosphere in the U.S.
(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.
Grandfather's arrival in the U.S., experiencing discrimination
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Dealing with racism within army unit in Korea
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Collection of artifacts depicting racial stereotypes influences art
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Encountering racial discrimination at a public swimming pool
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Making the decision to resist the draft
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
Anti-Japanese sentiment at the time of World War II
(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada
Undergraduate studies interrupted following Pearl Harbor
(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores
Difficulty getting work during World War II
(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores
His experiences in Chicago after WWII
(b.1929) Pioneer medical researcher in tissue transfer and organ transplantation.
Discharged from the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor
(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel