4848 items
Narrator Chizuko Norton
Nisei female. Born July 3, 1924, in Seattle, Washington. Spent prewar childhood in Japan; Bellevue, Washington; and Kirkland, Washington. Incarcerated at Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Returned to Seattle after the war, obtained master's degree from the University of Washington in the field of social work. Founded Seattle's first alternative school …
Narrator Shosuke Sasaki
Issei male. Born March 26, 1912, in Yamaguchi-ken, Japan. Immigrated to United States in 1919. Lived in Pomeroy, Washington, and Seattle, Washington, before World War II. Incarcerated at the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Resettled in New York. As a member of the Newspaper Guild, led effort to eliminate pejorative use …
Narrator James Yamazaki
Nisei male. Born July 6, 1916. Grew up in the Los Angeles area, where father was a Buddhist minister. Attended medical school before World War II. During the war, served in the U.S. Army as a doctor with the 106th Infantry Division in Europe. Captured during the Battle of the Bulge and was held in several …
Narrator Yoshimi Matsuura
Nisei male. Born May 3, 1918, in Fowler, California. Grew up in Fowler, eventually running family's farm prior to World War II. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, married and was removed to the Gila River concentration camp, Arizona. Left camp for Minneapolis, Minnesota, to join the National Youth Administration (NYA) for training. Upon arrival, was …
Narrator Kaz T. Tanemura
Male, Issei-han. Born April 27, 1928, in Japan. As an infant, came to the U.S. where parents had previously immigrated. Family ran a hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After the war, returned to Seattle, finished high …
Narrator Frank H. Hirata
Kibei-Nisei male. Born November 19, 1925, in Spokane, Washington. At the age of ten, went to Japan with grandfather. During World War II, was conscripted into the Japanese army, and was still in training when the war ended. After the war, continued education, graduating from Kyoto University with a law degree. Got married in 1957 and …
Narrator Yukio Kawaratani
Nisei male. Born May 30, 1031, in San Juan Capistrano, California. Grew up in various places in California. During World War II, was removed with family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. While in Poston, family signed "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and was transferred to Tule Lake. Father and two older brothers renounced their …
Narrator Warren Koichi Suzuki
Nisei male. Born February 27, 1921, in Seattle, Washington. At age ten, was sent to Japan to live and attend school. Returned to Seattle prior to World War II. During the war, was removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Answered "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and was transferred …
Narrator Mike Murase
Sansei male. Born January 25, 1947, in Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan. Moved to the U.S. with family at age nine and grew up in Los Angeles, California. Graduated from UCLA and was involved in a number of civil rights movements and organizations. One of the founders of Gidra, the groundbreaking Asian American publication. Worked for both of …
Narrator Hiroshi Uyehara
Nisei male. Born January 1, 1916, in Oakland, California. Grew up in the Los Angeles area where father started a fish cake factory. Attended UCLA and UC Berkeley and then worked as an electrical draftsman for the Department of Water and Power for the City of Los Angeles. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, …
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Yeichi Nimura posing in costume (ddr-njpa-4-1404)
Caption on reverse [translation]: "Yeichi Nimura photo - Iris - Paris." Caption on reverse: "Today the dancers of the world can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and Nimura is one of them. He was born in Japan and educated in the United States, where he first achieved fame and where he originated his …
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Federal Bureau of Investigation Case file for Keizaburo Koyama. Page 2 of 4. (ddr-one-5-170)
Photocopy of a declassified file on Keizaburo Koyama by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This page goes into greater detail the reasoning for interning Koyama. The FBI has labeled the Fatherland Society as "one of the most aggressive and active of the Japanese nationalist organizations...It's members are selected by reason of their intense loyalty and belief …
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Letter from Makoto Okine to Mr. S. Okine, September 24, 1945 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-109)
A letter from Makoto Okine who is probably stationed in Italy as a U.S. military soldier to his father, Seiichi Okine in the Rohwer incarceration camp, Arkansas. He describes his vacation, staying in a hotel and eating at a restaurant. He states that he has not had a chance to sleep in a bed with sheets …
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Letter from Ayame and Masao Okine to Mr. and Mrs. Okine, October 18, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-172)
A letter from Masao and Ayame Okine to their parents, Seiichi and Tomeyo Okine. Masao reports to his parents about his arrival to Chicago after his discharge from the U.S. Army, serving as a Nisei solder in Japan. He describes his life in Chicago, such as buying a car and driving to New York to see …
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Letter from Makoto Okine to Mr. S. Okine, January 15, 1946 [in Japanese] (ddr-csujad-5-123)
A letter from Makoto Okine to his father, Seiichi Okine in Hawthorne, California. This letter is probably written in Italy where Makoto is stationed as a U.S. Army soldier and mailed via New York by the U.S. Army Postal Service. He regrets not being able to write to his father for a long time because he …
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Minidoka Irrigator Vol. III No. 22 (July 24, 1943) (ddr-densho-119-49)
Selected article titles: "WRA Says Hunt Cannot be Used to House Prisoners" (p. 1), "Governor Requests Use of Hunt for War Prisoners" (p. 1), "Illinois Town Welcomes First Japanese Family" (p. 1), "WRA Picks Tule Lake As Segregation Center. Segregation Procedures Announced" (p. 1), "Army Calls Seven More Volunteers" (p. 1), "Senate Committee Recommends Nisei Subject …
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A king and queen of Aloha Week gathered with others in formal dress (ddr-njpa-2-500)
Caption on reverse: "Presented above are the King and Queen of Aloha Week (Mr. Sargent Kahanamoku and Mrs. Anna Kahanamoku), the first husband-and-wife royalty of Aloha Week, who held a court reception last Saturday evening at historic Iolani Palace. The King and Queen yesterday attended services at historic Kawaiahao Church, the Westminster Abbey of Hawaii. Starting …
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Dave Tatsuno Interview (ddr-jamsj-2-6)
Nisei male. Born March 31, 1913, in San Francisco, California. Spent difficult childhood years in San Francisco under care of a guardian while family lived in Japan. Graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley before World War II. Removed to Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and then to Topaz concentration …
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Frances Ota Interview (ddr-one-7-13)
Nisei female. Born January 22, 1923, in Wilsonville, Oregon. Taken to Japan to live with family for a few years before the outbreak of World War II. Returned alone to Oregon to join sister at age sixteen with the help of a white benefactor. Removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, but then left immediately to …
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Warren Koichi Suzuki Interview (ddr-densho-1000-410)
Nisei male. Born February 27, 1921, in Seattle, Washington. At age ten, was sent to Japan to live and attend school. Returned to Seattle prior to World War II. During the war, was removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Answered "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and was transferred …
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Harry K. Yoshikawa Interview (ddr-densho-1000-278)
Nisei male. Born June 26, 1922, in Montebello, California. Grew up in California, spending a short time in Japan prior to World War II. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, moved to Denver, Colorado, during the "voluntary evacuation" period designated by the U.S. government. Arrested after refusing to report for military service after being drafted. Tried …
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Yukio Kawaratani Interview (ddr-densho-1000-377)
Nisei male. Born May 30, 1031, in San Juan Capistrano, California. Grew up in various places in California. During World War II, was removed with family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. While in Poston, family signed "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and was transferred to Tule Lake. Father and two older brothers renounced their …
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Shosuke Sasaki Interview (ddr-densho-1002-2)
Issei male. Born 1912 in Yamaguchi ken, Japan. Immigrated to United States in 1919. Lived in Pomeroy, Washington, and Seattle, Washington, before World War II. Incarcerated at the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Resettled in New York. As a member of the Newspaper Guild, led effort to eliminate pejorative use of …
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Mitsu Fukui Interview (ddr-densho-1000-140)
Nisei female. Born September 21, 1911, in Seattle, Washington. Had a younger sister and three younger brothers. Father, Riichiro Fukano, employed by Oriental Trading Company as a bookkeeper in Seattle, before operating a dry cleaning business. Mother, Kiyono (Miyama) Fukano, a seamstress. Learned dressmaking from mother, and helped in the shop. Family lived upstairs above the …
Narrator Spady Koyama
Nisei male. Born June 4, 1917, in Ferry County, Washington. Sent to Japan at age five following father's death, returning to Spokane, Washington, in 1927. Enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1942. Served with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in the Pacific Ocean theater during World War II where he was seriously injured during a …