Typed and notarized letter from Teru Koyama to Edward J. Ennis, Director, Enemy Alien Control Unit. Page 9 of 13.

Free to use This object is offered under a Creative Commons license. You are free to use it for any non-commercial purpose as long as you properly cite it, and if you share what you have created.

Learn more...

Japanese American Museum of Oregon
Visit partner

ddr-one-5-236 (Koyama147; 2016.23.147; NDD978084)

Dr. Keizaburo Koyama Family Collection

Photocopy of a typed letter from Teru Koyama to Edward J. Ennis concerning the rehearing of Keizaburo Koyama's case. Mrs. Koyama contacted her agent about Dr. Shiomi's claim and was told that it wasn't true. The agent added that it would be impossible since the lease was in Dr. Koyama's name. In February of 1942, Mrs. Koyama cleared out her husband's office. Mrs. Koyama then goes on in the letter detailing why she and her husband raised their kids as Americans. She attributes becoming a Christian as the main impetus for not teaching her children Japanese. She said the Bible states that a person cannot serve two masters, so neither can a person serve two nations. She did say that she received criticism from the Japanese community for this, but she wanted her kids to be loyal to only one country, so the sacrifice was worth it. If they wanted to learn Japanese, they could do so on their own.

11/29/1943

Hunt, Idaho

Correspondence

Document

Japanese American Museum of Oregon; Portland, Oregon

Courtesy of Dr. Keizaburo Koyama Family Collection, Japanese American Museum of Oregon

API