Kibei male. Born June 16, 1911, in Greeley, Colorado. Raised in Denver, Colorado, until the age of five. Sent to Japan for schooling in 1917 and returned to the U.S. at the age of seventeen. Continued his education to eventually become the first Nikkei attorney in the state of Colorado. Drafted into the U.S. Army in …

Elaine Kim and Dr. Kyle Kinoshita interviewed Arlene Oki. Oki is a longtime Seattle JACLer and is the heart of the Seattle JACL Board for over 40 years. She began as a recording secretary at a critical time during Redress and witnessed the heated conflicts during the hammering out of Seattle's leadership of the movement. Oki …

Nisei male. Born April 28, 1929, in Seattle, Washington. Incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Had some key childhood experiences with discrimination that made him a self-described, "independent thinker," and later, an influential figure in the Japanese American community. While a teenager in camp, he wrote and defended an essay criticizing the …

White male. Born October 10, 1938, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Education History: BA, MA, Ph.D. at University of California, Santa Barbara. Work History: Professor of History and Asian American Studies, California State University, Fullerton (1966-Present); Visiting Professor, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1979-1980; Editor, Oral History Review, 1980-1987; President, Southwest Oral History Association (1991-1992); …

In this interview, Brent Sato and Joy Misako St. Germain interviewed Dr. Kyle Kinoshita to discuss Kinoshita's mother's, the late Cherry Kinoshita and Kyle Kinoshita's contributions to the JACL and the JA community. "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," could well have been Cherry Kinoshita's mantra. She was the linchpin in the Seattle JACL and National …

Roger Shimomura's paintings, prints, and theater pieces address sociopolitical issues of Asian America. The inspiration for many of his works are the diaries kept by his late immigrant grandmother for fifty-six years. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, and his graduate degree from Syracuse University, New York. Shimomura has had …

Nisei male. Born in Seattle on January 30, 1915, and attended Washington grade school, Garfield High School and the University of Washington. He grew up as a typical Nisei, working summers in Alaska salmon canneries and Western Avenue produce brokerages to pay for his education. He became interested in writing at Garfield where he was sports …

Sansei male. Born, June 17, 1920, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in "Little Tokyo," and the Boyle Heights area. During World War II, was removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Became ordained as a Baptist minister while incarcerated, ministering to fellow camp inmates and leading ecumenical worship services in camp. Left Poston to attend …

Kibei male, born October 12, 1923, in Seattle, Washington. Raised primarily in San Francisco, California, spending four years in Hiratsuka, Japan. Was incarcerated with his family at Topaz concentration camp, Utah. Refused to sign the so-called "loyalty questionnaire," and as a consequence was moved to Tule Lake Segregation Center, California. In Tule, he renounced his U.S. …

Nisei female. Born September 5, 1928, in Tacoma, Washington, moved with her family to Seattle at age four. At age six, began singing, taking voice lessons and performing on stage for Japanese American community events. In 1942, was incarcerated with her family at Puyallup Assembly Center and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho, where she continued to sing …

Sansei male. Born in Los Angeles, California on October 13, 1946, and grew up in Gardena, California. Received B.A. in Political Science from University of Southern California, graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1968. Received J.D., 1971, from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California. Mr. Minami was a co-founder of the …

Male of Italian and Irish descent. Born 1919 in Baltimore, Maryland. Grew up in the countryside outside of Baltimore with his parents, younger sister, and maternal grandmother. Raised Catholic, he attended public schools until graduating in 1936 at age seventeen. Began working for the Baltimore News Post in 1937 until the draft of 1940 when he …

Nisei male. Born August 15, 1924, in Portland, Oregon. Incarcerated at the North Portland Assembly Center and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Kept a diary beginning December, 1941, and through incarceration. Beginning as a teenager, was exceptionally active as a volunteer leader, first within a Japanese American church in Portland, later in camp with Federated Christian Church, …

Female, child of Issei parents. Born July 5, 1923, in Fukuoka, Japan while her mother and two older Nisei brothers visited relatives. Named Mitsuye Mei Yasutake at birth. From age 3, grew up in Seattle, WA. Father employed by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service as interpreter for twenty years, until separated from family on December …