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)

Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

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(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

The only Japanese family in Ocean Park

(b. 1934) Writer

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Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Trick in developing the film

(b. 1934) Writer

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Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
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Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Racism doesn't end

(b. 1934) Writer

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Francis Y. Sogi
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Sogi,Francis Y.

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(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

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Francis Y. Sogi
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Sogi,Francis Y.

Not relating to Japan Americans' experiences on the mainland

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,Bert A.

Postwar discrimination

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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Mako Nakagawa
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Nakagawa,Mako

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

(1937 - 2021) Teacher

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Margaret Oda
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Oda,Margaret

Father interrogated by FBI, but not taken away

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

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Roberto Hirose
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Hirose,Roberto

The political effects on Nikkei during the war (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

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Henry Shimizu
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Shimizu,Henry

Government sold Japanese Canadian properties for little money

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

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Gordon Hirabayashi
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Hirabayashi,Gordon

Questioning Curfew

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

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William Marutani
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Marutani,William

Challenges of finding a summer job

Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.

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Young O. Kim
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Kim,Young O.

Basic Training

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

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Young O. Kim
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Kim,Young O.

Do it for all Asians

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

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