Shirakawa

Shirakawa

Shirakawa (“White River”)

STORIES FROM A

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY

Shirakawa

Shirakawa - Part 1 -

STORIES FROM A

PACIFIC NORTHWEST


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1. Immigrants

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America has been called a

―nation of nations.‖

We all have ancestors who immigrated here from

other places, other countries.

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Japanese immigrants

first arrived in the United States in the 1880s. . . .

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Japanese immigrants

first arrived in the United States in the 1880s. . . .

They left families and friends behind, dreaming of better jobs and opportunities

in America.

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In 1880, there was just 1 person of Japanese ancestry in Washington State.

Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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In 1880, there was just 1 person of Japanese ancestry in Washington State. In 1900, there were over 5000.


Courtesy WRVM JACL Album Collection

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If you know about Japanese sports, you know that ―one, two, three‖ in Japanese is ―ichi, ni, san‖ (pronounced ―ee-chee, nee, sahn‖).

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If you know about Japanese sports, you know that ―one, two, three‖ in Japanese is ―ichi, ni, san‖ (pronounced ―ee-chee, nee, sahn‖). That is written with script borrowed from the Chinese. . . . like this

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If you know about Japanese sports, you know that ―one, two, three‖ in Japanese is ―ichi, ni, san‖ (pronounced ―ee-chee, nee, sahn‖). That is written with script borrowed from the Chinese. But it’s usually written from top to bottom . . . like this

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If you know about Japanese sports, you know that ―one, two, three‖ in Japanese is ―ichi, ni, san‖ (pronounced ―ee-chee, nee, sahn‖). That is written with script borrowed from the Chinese. But it’s usually written from top to bottom . . . like this

(Easy as 一二三 , isn’t it!)

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Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning ―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say.

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Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning ―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say. They called their 2nd generation children ―Nisei‖ . . . pronounced nee-say.

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Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning ―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say. They called their 2nd generation children ―Nisei‖ . . . pronounced nee-say. OK, your turn. They call their 3rd generation grandchildren . . . . . ?

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Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning ―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say. They called their 2nd generation children ―Nisei‖ . . . pronounced nee-say. OK, your turn. They call their 3rd generation grandchildren ―Sansei‖ Right! And it’s pronounced . . . . ?

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Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning ―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say. They called their 2nd generation children ―Nisei‖ . . . pronounced nee-say. OK, your turn. They call their 3rd generation grandchildren ―Sansei‖ . . . pronounced sahn-say. Great! (Now you’re speaking Japanese!)

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Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning ―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say. They called their 2nd generation children ―Nisei‖ . . . pronounced nee-say. OK, your turn. They call their 3rd generation grandchildren ―Sansei‖ . . . pronounced sahn-say. Everyone of Japanese origin is called ―Nikkei‖ (nee-kay).

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The Issei came East from Japan to America on ships.

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The Issei came East from Japan to America on ships. The trip across the Pacific Ocean could be long and hard.

(Definitely not a Carnival Cruise!)

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The Issei came East from Japan to America on ships. The trip across the Pacific Ocean could be long and hard. In 1900, Matahichi Iseri traveled to America on his own, joining his half-brother. ―Mat‖ was 16 years old.


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The Issei came East from Japan to America on ships. The trip across the Pacific Ocean could be long and hard.

In 1914 at age 16, Yohei Hikida crossed the Pacific on his own to join his dad

in Washington. He kept house, cooked, cleaned, helped on the farm, and enrolled at the local grade school to learn English.

Courtesy of Tom Hikida

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Many Issei looked for work in cities like

Seattle and Tacoma.

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But many more found jobs in the countryside away from big cities.

The United States was growing fast. New technology was starting up everywhere.

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2. White River

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Japanese labor teams worked for busy railroads, sawmills,

and fish canneries all around the Pacific Northwest.

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Japanese labor teams worked for busy railroads, sawmills,

and fish canneries all around the Northwest.

Big work teams were also needed on farms.

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Many Issei came from farming villages in Japan.

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The White River Valley was the biggest, most fertile farm belt between Seattle and Tacoma.

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Where does this ―WHITE RIVER‖

come from?

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Where does this ―WHITE RIVER‖

come from?

Well, it starts on the biggest

volcanic mountain in the contiguous

(―connected‖) 48 States.

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MT. RAINIER,

the most famous landmark in all of Washington State, 14,410 feet tall! NW Coastal Indians called her "Ta-ko-ma" which is said to mean . . . ―she who gives us the waters."

Courtesy Wikipedia Commons, WSiegmund

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On Mt. Rainier is the huge Emmons Glacier the biggest ice mass in the contiguous 48 States.

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On Mt. Rainier is the massive Emmons Glacier the biggest ice mass in the contiguous 48 States. This sea of slow-moving, slow-melting ice is the main source of the White River.

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For ages, the river has run from Mt. Rainier through deep gorges and wide valleys to big salt-water bays in what we call Puget Sound.

Courtesy LOC #g4284t.pm009790

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For ages, the river has run from Mt. Rainier through deep gorges and wide valleys to big salt-water bays in what we call Puget Sound. The deltas at the end of the rivers are where the cities of Seattle and . . . Tacoma grew up.

Courtesy LOC #g4284t.pm009790

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Names for the White River varied with different cultures and languages . . .

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Names for the White River varied with different cultures and languages . . . Native Americans called it ―Stokh‖ (where it ran near today's Kent and Auburn). They called themselves ―St-kah-mish‖— ―people of the Stokh River.‖

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• In the 19th century, pioneer immigrants saw the

milky silt in its water and called it "White River.‖

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• In the 19th century, pioneer immigrants saw the

milky silt in its water and called it "White River.‖ • And Japanese immigrants called it ―Shirakawa‖ – a direct translation of the English . . .

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Shiroi means ―White‖ . . . . . .

Kawa means ―River‖ . . . . . .

Together they read . . . . . . “Shirakawa”

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The tallest, most loved mountain in Japan is Mt. Fuji,

another volcano.

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The tallest, most loved mountain in Japan is Mt. Fuji,

another volcano.

Over the ages, it has been portrayed in

countless works of Japanese art.

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Mt. Rainier reminded the Japanese of Mt. Fuji when they came to Washington State.

They even called it Takoma-no-Fuji. . . ―Tacoma’s Mt. Fuji.‖

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The character of the valley — river channels, living spaces, work places — has changed a lot in the last 160 years.

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In 1906, the route of the White River was even changed.

It no longer flows through the White River Valley! The Green River took its place from Auburn to Tukwila!

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In 1906, the route of the White River was even changed.

It no longer flows through the White River Valley! The Green River took its place from Auburn to Tukwila!

But the historical name, ―White River Valley,‖ has not been forgotten.

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3. Roots

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Asian immigrants often faced cruel discrimination in America. But some of their non-Asian neighbors grew to

respect them and their work.

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Asian immigrants often faced cruel discrimination in America. But some of their non-Asian neighbors grew to

respect them and their work.

In 1882, the US Congress passed laws to stop the immigration of workers from China. Violent riots made it

even harder for the Chinese to work in America.

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The Issei came to seek their fortunes where Chinese workers were no longer welcomed.

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The Issei came to seek their fortunes where Chinese workers were no longer welcomed.

Japanese immigrants tried hard to imitate American ways . . .

and they often took jobs nobody else wanted.

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The first known record of Issei workers in the White River Valley was written in 1892. . . .

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The first known record of Issei workers in the White River Valley was written in 1892. . . .

Many Issei joined with Indian and Caucasian workers (kids included) to harvest hops, a crop that earned big

money for White River Valley farm owners.

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There was a big backlash in the local press. This 1893 article in Kent’s White River Journal newspaper called Japanese workers ―distasteful‖ and ―irresponsible.‖

Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection

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But many valley farmers still counted on their help, saying they were ―conscientious, determined, and thrifty.‖

Courtesy WRVM #PO-00818

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The Issei also found other kinds of jobs.

Mat Iseri worked as a ―houseboy‖– a kind of servant –

while he enrolled in night school to

learn English.

No one knew that someday he would become a leader in his community.


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Despite their efforts to fit in, the Japanese still faced a lot

of prejudice. Newspaper editors and union leaders often raged against them, but they kept on trying for jobs.


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Around 1900, some Issei farm workers began to lease

small plots of land for their own farms.

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Around 1900, some Issei farm workers began to lease

small plots of land for their own farms.

Once again, newspapers exploded against them.

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Angry disrespect for the Japanese was stirred up all around the West Coast.

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Angry disrespect for the Japanese was stirred up all around the West Coast.

US law said that Asian immigrants were not allowed to become American citizens.

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By 1908, Japanese immigration to the US had became very

restricted.

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By 1908, Japanese immigration to the US had became very

restricted.

But the wives and brides of workers already making a living in America could still come join their families.

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Kisa Okuna crossed the ocean to Washington in 1907 to marry Mat Iseri. She was 19.


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Kisa Okuna crossed the ocean to Washington in 1907 to marry Mat Iseri. She was 19.

This is the family she left behind . . . maybe forever, she thought sadly.

both Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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When Sen Natsuhara arrived in Seattle in 1905, the first thing she and her husband, Chiyokichi (―Charles‖), did was to have a wedding ceremony on board her ship.

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When Sen Natsuhara arrived in Seattle in 1905, the first thing she and her husband, Chiyokichi (―Charles‖), did was to have a wedding ceremony on board her ship. Then he bought her some American-style clothes and took her home to his tiny place at an Auburn farm.

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In a few years, two children had joined the family. Now America finally felt like Sen’s home.

Courtesy WRVM #PO03564 Natsuhara Family Collection

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STORIES FROM A

PACIFIC NORTHWEST


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4. Nisei

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It was a new era. Families blossomed as children arrived.

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It was a new era. Families blossomed as children arrived.

A new generation of American citizens

—the Nisei— sprouted in the US.

both Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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While their families multiplied, Issei farmers grew produce

and sold it at farm stands and markets.

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Remember the Iseri family? Mat and Kisa leased a farm in Sumner, Pierce County.

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When their first child, Tom, was born in 1907, they brought him to work!

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When their first child, Tom, was born in 1907, they brought him to work!

No one knew that this baby would grow up to be a Nisei leader.

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Better transportation brought new energy to the

White River Valley.


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Better transportation brought new energy to the

White River Valley.

This was the Seattle/Tacoma Interurban passenger train, which also took farm products to nearby cities.


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Huge new milk canning factories were opened in the valley.


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Huge new milk canning factories were opened in the valley.

This building in Kent was where Carnation first canned their famous ―evaporated milk‖ in 1899.


Vintageprintable.com

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Many Issei farmers bought herds of dairy cows.

If they could keep up with this hard way of life, it paid off.


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Many Issei farmers bought herds of dairy cows.

If they could keep up with this hard way of life, it paid off.

Every member of the family pitched in to help with family businesses.

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After chores, there was time for fun, Like marbles and kites And a whole lot more.


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After chores, there was time for fun, Like marbles and kites And a whole lot more.

Hanging out was never a bore! both Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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In back that’s Mike with his older brother, Tom. In front are their other brothers, ―Skeeter‖ and ―Mun.‖

The Iseri Brothers, 1915

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No one knew then that little Skeeter would not live long enough to become a grownup . . .

Or that one day Mike would become a real soldier, and give his life for his country.


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New Japanese stores and businesses appeared. The Natsuhara family began importing rice and tea in 1914 to sell to their Japanese neighbors. The family built the business and ran their store in Auburn for 85 years.

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The Iseri family was still growing.

They moved to ―Thomas,‖ a tiny farming town in the White River Valley between Auburn and Kent.

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The Iseri family was still growing.

They moved to ―Thomas,‖ a tiny farming town in the White River Valley between Auburn and Kent.

Here they are in 1918, picking berries with other families.

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Mat is stacking boxes on the wagon. Tom is 10 now, riding a bike nearby.

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Mat is stacking boxes on the wagon. Tom is 10 now, riding a bike nearby.

Skeeter, baby Alice, Mun, and Mike are trying to help. Tom’s 2nd sister, Mae, is there, too, but you can’t see her!

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Kisa–sitting on the left–will give birth to Mae in about a month!

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When Mae arrived and got old enough to play, her dad took her for rides on their horse, Fanny . . .

unless, of course, Fanny was still

at work.

all Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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The Issei formed Japanese clubs and organizations of all kinds, and included family members as much as possible.

There was a close Nikkei community spirit in the valley.


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As kids grew older, their parents usually enrolled them

in local public schools.

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As kids grew older, their parents usually enrolled them

in local public schools. The first known Japanese to attend school in the White

River Valley was this 18-year-old at Thomas Grade School.

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In 1904, James Higashida was so eager to learn English,

he signed up for 1st grade! Later, he became a dentist in Seattle.

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By 1915, half of these 3rd and 4th graders at Thomas School

were Nisei . . .

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By 1915, half of these 3rd and 4th graders at Thomas School

were Nisei . . . including Tom and Mike Iseri.

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Three years later, a new Thomas School Building was built. The old two-room schoolhouse was bought by some Issei

and moved down the road a mile . . .


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Three years later, a new Thomas School Building was built. The old two-room schoolhouse was bought by some Issei

and moved down the road a mile . . .

where it became the White River Buddhist Church.

Courtesy White River Buddhist Temple

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The Buddhist Church also held a weekday Japanese

Language School, started by Issei parents so their children could learn about their family’s language and culture.


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After regular school, Nisei kids in Thomas walked (or biked) to their other school for the rest of the day! They hated it –

until they grew up and discovered all they had learned!


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In some classrooms, like this one in Thomas,

Nisei kids outnumbered others 2 to 1.

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In some classrooms, like this one in Thomas,

Japanese kids outnumbered others 2 to 1. There’s Mae Iseri, growing up fast.

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One of Mae’s classmates was Gordon Hirabayashi.

Many years later, he would be named as ―one of the 100 Washingtonians who most changed the world.‖

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Not many Issei parents spoke much English. It was hard

for them to know what was going on at their kids’ schools.

So in 1927, Mat Iseri helped start the first ever Japanese PTA in the United States at Thomas School.


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Like other Americans, White River Nikkei were free to choose a religious faith and practice to follow. This kids’ celebration was held at the White River Buddhist Church.


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Christian groups also formed in several neighborhoods. This Sunday School met near Kent.

It was started by a Japanese High School student.


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Life was better when people worked and played together. There were births . . .


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Life was better when people worked and played together. There were births . . . and weddings . . .

Courtesy of Hatsume Murakami Sao

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Life was better when people worked and played together. There were births . . . and weddings . . . and funerals . . .


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Life was better when people worked and played together. There were births . . . and weddings . . . and funerals . . . and traditional Japanese celebrations . . .

like mochitsuki at New Year’s time– making pounded rice cakes (mochi) from steamed rice using big wooden mallets . . .

Courtesy WRVM JACL Collection


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Life was better when people worked and played together. There were births . . . and weddings . . . and funerals . . . and traditional Japanese celebrations . . .

. . and like Obon, a Buddhist celebration of ancestry. These girls dressed up in kimono for the traditional odori dancing. Courtesy Densho #pd-p159-00240 Ochikubo Collection

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But lots of people were still angry about the success of

Japanese immigrants and their children.

Between 1921 to 1924, new Washington State

laws banned land ownership and farm

leasing by aliens. A new federal law stopped any more immigration from

Asian countries.


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Now every hope of Mat and Kisa Iseri

and all other Issei in America was placed in their Nisei kids.

Alice Tom Mike Mun Skeeter Mae George Mat Oscar Dan Carl Kisa

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5. Harvest

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Despite many restrictions, even more family stores, like the Iseri General Store in Thomas, opened around the valley.

It grew from this . . .

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Despite many restrictions, even more family stores, like the Iseri General Store in Thomas, opened around the valley.

It grew from this . . . to this in three years.

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Nearby, the Tsuchiya family opened their flower shop and

greenhouses.

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The Kadoyama greenhouses were west of Kent. A K-Mart store stands on this spot today.

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Just up the road was the Tsubota Sawmill.

Things seemed to be looking up for members of the White River Valley Japanese Community.

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The number of Japanese American kids at White River Valley schools continued to grow. . .

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The number of Japanese American kids at White River Valley schools continued to grow. . .

There’s Mae . . . a 7th grader at Thomas School in 1930.

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And there’s Gordon, an 8th grader. He was such a good

student, the school skipped him up a grade. No wonder he became a professor as an adult.

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Some Nisei were great athletes, too.

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Some Nisei were great athletes, too.

One of the stars on this State champion 1925 Auburn High School football team was Kimeo Hirose.

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White River Valley people were thrilled in 1927 when

the first ever international high school baseball exchange game in the United States was played in Auburn.

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White River Valley people were thrilled in 1927 when

the first ever international high school baseball exchange game in the United States was played in Auburn.

The touring Japanese National H.S. Champions played a Kent area All-star team, which included two Nisei.

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The Japanese community had its own sports leagues,

and baseball was the favorite game.

These kids played on a White River Buddhist Church team long before national Little League Baseball ever got started.

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Growing older, they joined youth teams.

The Kent and Auburn baseball teams won championships 6 years in a row in the local Nisei League.

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This Auburn girls’ basketball team was also the champion of its league.

(Happy coach . . . champs and girls!)

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Issei parents also taught their children

native Japanese sports, like sumo wrestling . . .

(Tough guys . . . no girls!)

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. . . and judo. This was the White River Dojo (judo club).

(More tough guys . . . no girls here either!)

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. . . and judo. This was the White River Dojo (judo club).

The Dojo started in 1927 in Mat Iseri’s warehouse.

The teacher was called ―Sensei,‖ a very respectful title.

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Have you ever been to summer camp?

A Seattle Japanese church group held a summer ―Fresh Air Camp‖ at the Green River near Auburn.


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Have you ever been to summer camp?

A Seattle Japanese church group held a summer ―Fresh Air Camp‖ at the Green River near Auburn.

Hundreds of Japanese American city kids came every year to enjoy country life for a week or two.


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Nisei kids took part in school clubs, church activities, and sometimes took private lessons.

These Kent girls studied

Japanese dancing (called ―odori‖).

Courtesy of Amy Hanada Nikaitani

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Nisei kids took part in school clubs, church activities, and private lessons.

These Kent girls studied

Japanese dancing (called ―odori‖).

Gordon Hirabayashi was one of many Nisei who joined the Scouts.

Courtesy NARA #NWDNS-210-G-B570

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Youth clubs grew young new leaders.

Tom Iseri, became the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Northwest District Chairman in 1935.


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Organized in 1929, the JACL soon became America’s most important organization for young adult Nisei.

Under Tom’s leadership, the district convention was held at Kent High School in 1935.


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The mayors of both Auburn and Kent spoke to the group of 400 delegates, who came from all around Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. After the meetings, there was a fine banquet and big dance.


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The Valley JACL group sponsored many other district activities, like Japanese-style dramas (―shibai‖).

Some guys cast in this comical play were good sports about wearing girls’ kimonos!


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In the 1930s, Japanese truck farmers

in the White River Valley became very successful. F

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Some valley produce went to markets in

Seattle or Tacoma, like the famous Pike Place Market.

(That’s a lot of carrots!)

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But most of it was taken to the shipping companies that cropped up around the valley,

like the White River Packing Company in Kent . . .

Courtesy WRVM #PO-01191 JACL Album Collection

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And this packing shed in Auburn. Tom Iseri and a partner owned the business.

That’s Tom’s sister, Mae, on the right – all grown up.

Courtesy WRVM #PO-01060 Yamada Family Collection

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At the packing sheds, farm-fresh vegetables and berries

were cleaned and boxed and loaded onto trains, then shipped to eastern cities like Chicago and New York.

(Mmmm . . . more carrots!)

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The White River Packing Company was owned by

Kent’s E. K. Saito, shown here with his family. People thought he was the richest Japanese in the valley.

Their house is now the home of the Kent Historical Society.

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Kent had a famous community celebration in the 1930s called . . . ―The Lettuce Festival!‖

They called Kent ―The Lettuce Capital of the World!‖

(―Lettuce Grow With Kent‖—get it?)

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Thousands of people came to Kent for the festival. They even invited President Roosevelt with

this giant postcard, displayed by May and Amy Hanada.

(He couldn’t come.)

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Most of Kent’s lettuce was grown by Nikkei farmers. In this advertising photo for the festival, ―Bertha‖ the fake gorilla posed with a Japanese American farmer.

The newspaper picture showed Bertha, but not the farmer.

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Part of the annual celebration was making the ―world’s largest tossed salad!‖

Pretty girls in rubber boots tossed lettuce with pitchforks!

(But did anyone eat the stuff?)

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A ―lettuce queen‖ was elected each year. Mr. Saito’s adopted daughter was the 1935 queen.

Here she is with Mayor Wooden (in back with the hat) . . .

and her court of Japanese attendants.

Court

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Goodwill seemed to rule White River Valley neighbors. The outlook in 1941 for Nisei kids like Tom and Mae’s

youngest brothers beamed brighter than ever.

(Bill, Oscar, & Carl Iseri) Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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STORIES FROM A

PACIFIC NORTHWEST


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6. WAR!

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On December 7, 1941, Japanese military forces sprang

a massive air attack

on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

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America was suddenly and totally involved in World War II.

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Dozens of Issei community leaders on the West Coast, like

Mat Iseri and E.K. Saito, were arrested by the FBI.

They had done nothing wrong. But some government officials thought Japanese leaders might turn against

America and help their one-time homeland.

Courtesy of Hatsume Murakami Sao Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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Both Mr. Iseri and Mr. Saito

had come to the US as very young men.

Both had spend about two-thirds of their lives living and working and raising families here.

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Tom Iseri, still the Northwest District Chairman of the JACL, wrote to newspapers, asking for calm and understanding

about Japanese American loyalty to the US.


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His brother, Mike, and many other Nisei hurried to sign up for the US Army. At first, the military didn’t know what to do with them.


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The country was worried about Japanese Americans. Frightened people expressed many strong feelings.

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But the country still worried about Japanese Americans.

Frightened people expressed many strong feelings.

Those who had opposed the Nikkei for so long spoke out more loudly than anyone else, spreading the word that anyone with Japanese blood must surely be an enemy.

Both courtesy of NARA

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Even the famous Dr. Seuss stood against everyone

Japanese—the enemy nation and American Nikkei alike.


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Even the famous Dr. Seuss stood against everyone

Japanese—the enemy nation and American Nikkei alike.

His cartoons portrayed them all as sneering, look-alike terrorists.

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Never allowed to become American citizens, Issei like Mat and Kisa knew they would be watched like enemies.


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Never allowed to become American citizens, Issei like Mat and Kisa knew they would be watched like enemies.

But what about their American children? Would Tom, Mike, Mae and the rest still be able to live like other Americans?


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The final answer astonished them.

On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt gave national security leaders emergency powers to decide who might be

dangerous. He also directed them to move those they considered dangerous away from possible war zones.

Courtesy LOC

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The US Army General in charge of defending the Western States decided that the Issei and all of

their descendants had to move away from the West Coast.

A lot of government leaders disagreed with him, but they had given him the power to order what he wanted.

Courtesy US Army

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During World War II, only Japanese American citizens received this kind of full-group treatment in the USA.

The official racial discrimination of their country was shocking for young Nisei who grew up saying the Pledge of

Allegiance and studying the Constitution in school.

Courtesy NARA #210-G-A78

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Soon these gloomy signs were posted all around the valley.

Courtesy WRVM Natsuhara Family Collection

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Soon these gloomy signs were posted all around the valley. The orders were aimed at ―all persons of Japanese

ancestry, both alien and non-alien‖ – a tricky way to include ―American citizens‖ without saying so.

Courtesy WRVM Natsuhara Family Collection

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Every West Coast Nikkei had to register with the

government, and then was assigned a family number . . .

and issued identity tags.

Courtesy NARA #210-G-A573

Courtesy WRVM Matsuda Family Collection

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The Iseri family, Hirabayashis, Natsuharas, Hikidas, and all their Nikkei neighbors sold or stored their things.

They locked their businesses, and packed their bags

for travel to inland detention camps.

Courtesy Densho

Courtesy LOC #8c24383u

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It was a sad time for everyone.

For Japanese American kids, it was totally confusing.

When the time chosen for them to leave came, all Nikkei felt upset by what was happening to them.

Courtesy LOC #8a31174u

Courtesy LOC #8a31197u

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But the only Nisei in Washington State to protest openly

against it was Gordon Hirabayashi, from Thomas. When the war started, he was a student living in Seattle.

Courtesy of Maxie Shimojima Sugai

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The authorities told him he had to obey their curfew and

relocation orders like everyone else.

Gordon said doing so just because of his

Japanese ancestry would disregard the US Constitution, which would be doing wrong.

They would have to arrest him and try him in a court.

Court

esy 1

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His famous case was taken all the way to the US Supreme Court. But he lost! The judges said the Constitution didn’t

allow him to ignore the orders during a wartime crisis.

It took more than 40 years before Gordon’s case was reviewed and his conviction of crimes was erased.

Courtesy Densho #pd-i119-00045 Minidoka Irrigator Collection

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As for the rest of the White River Valley Nikkei, they boarded trains in Auburn or Renton

and were taken away, guarded by armed soldiers . . .

Courtesy Tacoma Public Library

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. . . to ―assembly center‖ camps like this one in California.

Courtesy LOC #3c37821v

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After a few months, they packed again and were taken to official detention camps they called ―relocation centers‖. . .

. . . like this one – Tule Lake in California.

Courtesy Bureau of Reclamation

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Life for White River Valley Nikkei and their entire

community was changed forever.

Courtesy NARA #210-G-D207

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They made the best of their new lives, and did what they

could to get along and help each other out.

Some people were angry or depressed. Others kept looking for new opportunities,

new things to learn, new ways to pass the time.

Courtesy NARA #210-G-A631 (l) & Densho #pd-p13-00041 Mamiya Family Collection (r)

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But kept behind a fence, it was impossible for the Nisei to best serve their country when it most needed their help.

Courtesy NARA #210-G-H444

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When the chance opened up, many more Nisei joined the

armed forces, proving their loyalty to America.

The bravery of their units became famous. Courtesy Densho #pd-i114-00089 Seattle Nisei Veterans Collection

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Some soldiers, like Mike Iseri and Bill Taketa,

sacrificed everything. The Kent newspaper listed their names among those who

died in combat.

Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection and Seattle Nisei Veterans Committee (photos)

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7. Return

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A lot of White River Valley folks back home did not want their former Japanese American neighbors to return after the war. Their sacrifices did not matter to you if your heart was bitter. In 1943, the Mayor of Kent had signs printed to show his point of view.


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Stores in Kent and Auburn were asked to post the signs.

This Kent barber

was glad to do it.

The story appeared in newspapers and inTime magazine.

Courtesy Densho #pd-i73-00001 Bettmann Archive / Corbis Collection #BEO71994

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The story appeared in newspapers and inTime magazine.

Over 300 Nikkei families had been taken from the valley, but only about 25 families returned after the war.

Courtesy Densho #pd-i36-00007 MOHAI Collection (Seattle P-I Collection #PI-28084)

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Mat and Kisa Iseri’s family found a welcome in the Eastern Oregon town of Ontario. Most of their large family settled there.

But their daughter, Mae,

returned to the White River Valley. She had married Maki Yamada early in the war.

Both Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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Maki was overseas in the US Army, so Mae and her kids

moved back to the old Iseri family home.

Neighbors who already knew Mae welcomed them back. The rest soon realized that all Americans have basic rights,

no matter where their ancestors came from.

Courtesy of Doug Yamada

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Armed

with decency and the work standards their parents taught,

White River Valley Nikkei rebuilt their lives. Once again they won the full respect of their neighbors.

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Mat Iseri passed away in Ontario, Oregon in1961.

Kisa lived on. When she turned 100, the city awarded her and the whole Iseri family its ―Outstanding Citizen Award.‖


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In 1988, America finally admitted that it had done wrong

toward Japanese Americans during World War II.

The US decided to make redress payments to every relocation camp survivor.

Many Issei, like Mat Iseri, had already died.

Courtesy Densho #pd-p179-00248 Nakamura Family Collection

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However, Kisa went to Washington, DC to take part in the very first redress payment ceremony.

It was October 9, 1990, and she was 102 years old.

Kisa also received this apology signed by the President.

Both courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

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About a year later, Kisa passed away. She had survived her husband and 7 of her 12 children.

Page from The Boise Statesman, March 21, 1988

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Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.

She had many good friends and was always full of energy.

Mae kept books of pictures and a mind full of memories, sharing them with anyone who would listen.

Stan Flewelling

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She joined the White River Valley Historical Society and was an honorary board member there until her last days.

Barbara Campbell

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She talked with school kids whenever she could . . . Stan Flewelling

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. . . and helped organize reunions of her childhood friends from Thomas Grade School.

Stan Flewelling

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She visited museums and libraries in Montana, where her dad, Mat, had first been locked up . . .

Stan Flewelling

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. . . and the National Archives in Washington, DC, where she looked up records about her family during the War . . .

Stan Flewelling

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. . . and her brother Mike’s Army service in Europe . . . and his death in France.

Courtesy Densho #pd-p105-00020 Tsubota Family Collection (Purple Heart) & Mae Iseri Yamada

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She even visited France and talked to people who remembered the bravery of Japanese American soldiers.

Courtesy of Lu Yamada Wiley

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She visited Mike’s grave in Seattle every Memorial Day.

Both by Stan Flewelling

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In 2006, Mae was elected the ―Pioneer Queen‖ of Auburn and was crowned by the Mayor.

Stan Flewelling

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She passed away in November 2010 at age 92.

Her story will stay alive as long as she is remembered.

Courtesy Auburn Senior Center

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She passed away in November 2010 at age 92.

Her story will stay alive as long as she is remembered.

This presentation is dedicated to the memory of Mae Iseri Yamada and her whole family.

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Credits:

Thanks to Pat Filer and Historylink.org for giving the Shirakawa story a new

chance at life.

Thanks also to the many people and organizations who have shared generously from their photo and document collections. Here are some of the

abbreviations for historical archives used in this presentation:

• WRVM: White River Valley Museum (Auburn, WA)

• DENSHO: Densho, The Japanese American Legacy Project (Seattle, WA)

• MOHAI: Museum of History and Industry (Seattle, WA)

• LOC: Library of Congress (Washington, DC)

• NARA: National Archives and Records Administration (Washington, DC

and College Park, MD)

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THE END

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Education

Transcript of Shirakawa