Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/662/

Reflecting on Japanese Americans' response to incarceration

I think they should have thought of things more. They shouldn't have felt guilty of being a Japanese. They should be proud that they're Japanese and express their feeling, and objected. If they had objected right in the beginning, maybe things like this may not have happened. Maybe something worse might have happened. Who knows? But, the first thing was, let's be obedient and find out what they're going to do to us because they said they're gonna take care of us. And we didn't know to what extent. But as it turned out, it was more like an internee in a concentration camp and when that comes about, you start thinking. And I thought that a lot of the people thought the way I did that this is not right, they're not treating me right so I'm going to rebel. And as I said, it surprised me that a lot of the people didn't think that way. 'Cause I don't feel guilty of what I did. I don't feel guilty that I'm, because I'm a Japanese. I'm an American citizen, born and raised, and you can't take that away from me as a citizenship.


discrimination draft resisters interpersonal relations resisters World War II

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)

Tashima,A. Wallace
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Tashima,A. Wallace

“I could never get a job offer from a private law firm”

(b. 1934) The First Japanese American Appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals. 

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Iwasaki,Hikaru “Carl”
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Iwasaki,Hikaru “Carl”

Joining WRA Photographic Section

(1923 - 2016) WRA photographer

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Iwasaki,Hikaru “Carl”
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Iwasaki,Hikaru “Carl”

Visiting Deep South

(1923 - 2016) WRA photographer

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Wakayama,Tamio
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Wakayama,Tamio

Resettling in Chatham

(1941-2018) Japanese Canadian photojournalist and activist

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Hoshiyama,Fred Y.
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Hoshiyama,Fred Y.

Celebrating his birthday on December 7, 1941

(1914–2015) Nisei YMCA and Japanese American community leader

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Hoshiyama,Fred Y.
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Hoshiyama,Fred Y.

Starting a YMCA program in camp

(1914–2015) Nisei YMCA and Japanese American community leader

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Kataoka,Mitsuru "Mits"
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Kataoka,Mitsuru "Mits"

Facing housing discrimination in Rhode Island

(1934–2018) Japanese American designer, educator, and pioneer of media technologies

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Yamamoto,Mia
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Yamamoto,Mia

Influence of Mexican culture after returning from camp

(b. 1943) Japanese American transgender attorney

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Ninomiya,Masato
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Ninomiya,Masato

Winners and losers

Professor of Law, University of Sao Paulo, Lawyer, Translator (b. 1948)

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Kansuma,Fujima
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Kansuma,Fujima

Dancing in Japan as an American, in the US as Japanese

(1918-2023) Nisei Japanese kabuki dancer

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Hoshiyama,Fred Y.
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Hoshiyama,Fred Y.

Discrimination in San Francisco

(1914–2015) Nisei YMCA and Japanese American community leader

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Shimomura,Roger
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Shimomura,Roger

Collection of artifacts depicting racial stereotypes influences art

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor

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Yamasaki,Frank
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Yamasaki,Frank

Encountering racial discrimination at a public swimming pool

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

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Herzig,Jack
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Herzig,Jack

His testimony has more credibility because of his race

(1922 - 2005) Former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer

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Oda,Margaret
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Oda,Margaret

Gender discrimination in education field

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

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