PARTNER

INTERVIEW ID

ddr-densho-1000-528

NARRATOR

Frank Abe

INTERVIEW TITLE

Frank Abe Interview I

3:10:12 — 30 segments

DESCRIPTION

Sansei male. Born 1951 in Cleveland, Ohio. During World War II, father was incarcerated the Pomona Assembly Center, California, and the Heart Mountain concentratin camp, Wyoming. Mother came to the United States from Japan in 1950. Frank grew up in Cleveland, where his parents owned a boarding house. Earned a B.A. in theater directing from the University of California at Santa Cruz and received professional actors' training at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. An original member of the Asian American Theater Workshop in San Francisco. Helped organize the first Day of Remembrance event in Seattle in 1978. Instrumental in creating the National Council for Japanese American Redress in Seattle. Worked as a reporter for KIRO Newsradio in Seattle, and was the co-founder of the Seattle chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association. Later worked as Director of Communications for the King County Executive in Seattle. Filmmaker who made the documentary Conscience and the Constitution with Shannon Gee, author of JOHN OKADA: The Life & Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy, and lead author of the graphic novel, We Hereby Refuse.

PRODUCTION

Nina Wallace, interviewer; Dana Hoshide, videographer

PERSONS/ORGANIZATIONS

CONTRIBUTOR

Densho

PREFERRED CITATION

Courtesy of Densho

RIGHTS