<Begin Segment 20>

AI: Okay, so we're continuing our interview with Wesley Watanabe, and I wanted to ask you about a very old movie that's, the title was Go for Broke, and it starred a, an actor, Van Johnson, and the movie was about the Japanese American soldiers during World War II. And I'm wondering if you recall that movie?

WW: I recall it somewhat, and, 'course, it was an enjoyable movie, I thought it was good in a way, because it told a little bit more about the Japanese Americans. And in that respect, I think it was good.

AI: Well, it was really one of the first movies that was widely distributed and seen by the general public, that had Japanese, a lot of Japanese Americans in it, and portrayed Japanese Americans in a positive light.

WW: Yes.

AI: So, so when you saw it, here you had, your life was really in West Chicago, and you were still a young person. What kind of reaction did you have on seeing this, this major movie come out?

WW: I thought it was good, because it, it portrayed the Japanese American in a positive way. That was the main thing I thought was good about it.

AI: And did you have family members, other relatives who served in the military?

WW: I had a couple of uncles that were in the MIS, Military Intelligence Service, both went up to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, for their language training skills, and so forth. And then ultimately, they were shipped overseas to the Philippines. And I know my older uncle went to Japan after the end of the war, and his job was to interrogate Japanese prisoners of war. And he said that it was quite an experience, because the country was so devastated at the time, and people were so poor. That I remember. He also talked about the Philippines, how hot it was, how they would get their daily showers, and so forth. (Narrator note: The younger of the two uncles unfortunately was killed in a crash landing along with nine other linguists (interpreters) while on his way from the Philippines to Japan on August 13, 1945, two days before the end of the war in Japan.)

AI: Well, and then, now that, after that Go for Broke movie, that was one of the early ones. More recently, there have been some other movies that have come out about the Japanese American experience, and, and books as well. And so I'm wondering, what are some of the books or movies that, that you've seen that you recall? I think you mentioned Snow Falling on Cedars?

WW: Right, Snow Falling on Cedars. I don't recall seeing any others, I don't believe. I, as far as books go, I did read Snow Falling on Cedars, and more recently, Stubborn Twig, which I thought was an excellent book.

AI: Well, and Stubborn Twig is about the Yasui family.

WW: Yes.

AI: And so, as you were reading that book about the Yasui family, what kinds of things came back to you?

WW: I thought it was excellent in that it not only taught me more about the history of the Issei and so forth, but I thought, in what I do know, that it paralleled what our family background, my family background is, going from Nisei -- Issei through myself, being, well, I guess part Nisei, part Sansei, really. So it was very interesting, informative. Very good, also in that it gave more history of the Issei generation when they first came to this country, and the hardships that they endured. Excellent book.

AI: That's right.

WW: Yeah.

AI: Well, I think, as we were talking briefly during the break, that there have been some changes over time, and as you look now at how the Japanese American experience is portrayed, what, do you think that there is more yet to be done in this area?

WW: I believe so. I still think that more people need to be educated, and obviously the place to start would be with the younger people, younger generation. And the more people that are educated, the better off it's going to be, not only for the Japanese Americans, but hopefully for other groups of people, also, that might be discriminated for one reason or another.

AI: Well, I thank you very much for your time. I really appreciate your participation in this interview.

WW: Thank you very much, my pleasure.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.