LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT AWARD FROM WASHINGTON STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Mar
21
Interviewing Mr. Nitta, from Hiroshima, in the 1970s. After 1924 Asian Exclusion Act, he couldn't come to USA. So, he went first to Peru, commandeered a fishing boat into Mexico with friends and sneaked into California's Imperial Valley, making his way to the Pacific Northwest.
It’s a thrilling honor to be nominated by the Washington State Historical Society for the award to be given May 4th at the Washington History Museum in Tacoma.
Working on the history of the Japanese experience in the Pacific Northwest since 1970s and facilitating the OMOIDE writing program the last 30 years are likely the basis of my receiving the award.
Over 50 years ago, I got a phone call from Min Masuda, professor of Psychiatry at the University of Washington, asking me, “Would you be willing to take a part time job at the UW Suzzallo Library Archives, documenting the Japanese Experience in the Pacific Northwest?” Min had collaborated with Frank Miyamoto of the Social Work department and Rich Berner, creator of the library archives, to get a grant and likely heard from my neighbor Mariko Hayashi that I spoke some Japanese. By 1970, very few of us young people--I was a Sansei (third generation Japanese)--spoke the language.
The offer took me by surprise. My education was in the field of nursing with math and science. I had gotten Honors at Entrance recognition for math with Lewis and Clark College, and had not once thought about history. I immediately answered, “No” and hung up. I had two preschool girls and no interest in a job outside of home.
I laughed about it as I explained to my husband, Sam, what had just happened. He must have thought about it. I had no idea about his interest in history. The next day or two, Sam talked me into calling Min back and accepting the job.
Nursing was the only way I could afford to get a college education because hospitals paid us students to work 30 hours a week as we learned. I never quit what I start, so I had become an RN, but I never liked carrying out military type “orders” by physicians. Therefore, I went on to get a Master in Psychosocial Nursing at the UW. I learned to love psychology and philosophy.
Grant funding ran out, but I remained on a Min Masuda Archival committee for 20 years. Meanwhile, my girls left home and I realized we could create some of our own documentation of the Japanese Experience by writing stories. We also had no Japanese Historical Society, so I helped organize one around 1990. Starting with weekly story sharing in my kitchen in 1991, we published OMOIDE I in 1993.
It took a lot of effort to demonstrate the financial responsibility of us younger generations with Japanese heritage, but the Nikkei Heritage Association was incorporated in 2003 and eventually incorporated with the Japanese Community Service/Japanese Language School in becoming the 2024 Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington. At age 85, I’m still part of the board of directors.
Today, in 2024, we have a KIP TOKUDA MEMORIAL grant to begin gathering stories for OMOIDE VII. With our unique perspective on the enduring effects of Executive Order 9066 and times of fear and uncertainty since the early 1900s, we seek stories of compassion, resilience and human connections. Please help us find and share stories to cultivate empathy, understanding and beyond - SPREADING RIPPLES OF COMPASSION & GENEROSITY!
