Nikkei in the Pacific Northwest: Japanese Americans and Japanese Canadians in the Twentieth Century by Lois Fiset, Gail M. Nomura

Abstract

NIKKEI IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST: JAPANESE AMERICANS AND JAPANESE CANADIANS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Edited byLois Fiset and GailM. Nomura University ofWashington Press, Seattle, 2005. Illustrations, notes, index. 360 pages. $25.00 paper. Nikkei in the PacificNorthwest isa collection of papers from aMay 2000 gathering of scholars who convened at the University of Washington to reflecton the century-longpresence ofNik kei (persons of Japanesedescent) in thePacific Northwest, including British Columbia. The conference,which coincided with the recogni tion of Gordon Hirabayashi as the 2000 Dis tinguishedAlumnus of theCollege ofArts and Sciences, was held to bring together the latest research on regional historyof theNikkei. In the introduction, the book's editors, Louis Fiset and Gail M. Nomura, provide a historical overview of Nikkei in the Pacific Northwest. The fourteen chapters explore a wide range of topics, including legalization of discrimination, formation ofNikkei iden tity,study of architecture as another path to Nikkei ethnic history, and the exploration of individual familyhistory. All of theessays, with an occasional exception, deal with subjects, events,people, or settingsbased in thePacific Northwest. The authors are recognized experts inAmerican history, the Second World War, and JapaneseAmerican history. Although PacificNorthwest Nikkei history follows similar themes and events experienced byNikkei inother parts of the West Coast, the people and stories discussed in thisbook are specific to theNorthwest and are individually unique. One of the strengthsof this book is that it reveals the infinitelypersonal ways in which historical events are experienced and interpretedby individuals. This is not to say that the Pacific Northwest Nikkei stories are unique than those from other parts ofNorth America. By focusingon a particular region,the scholarswhose work comprises thisbook give readers thedetails, intricacies,and complexities ofNikkei history. In recentyears,many books have been written about Nikkei history. Many are by authors based inCalifornia, include re search that covers awider span of subjects, or are from a national perspective. Out of neces sity,regional or local perspective is sometimes overlooked. A chapter by James Hirabayashi, "Four Hirabayashi Cousins: A Question of Identity," explores the stories of four cousins and the different paths each took after the start of World War II. One of the cousins, Gordon Hirabayashi, has been written about much, and his name and parts ofhis storyare familiar tomany. This essay introduces readers to the other cousins who, likeGordon, were young men growing up in the 1930sand 1940s. Shortly afterthe Japanese attack on PearlHarbor, they, alongwith all otheryoung Nikkei men of their generation,were confrontedwith curfew,draft, being reclassified "enemy alien," questions of loyalty,and uncertainties facing theirfamilies. Although all shared common familyvalues and similar upbringing, each cousin responded to the family and personal crisis as individuals and came to differentconclusions. In "WordsDo Matter," Roger Daniels guides readers through thedeliberateness with which government exercised the use of euphemisms to mask the truthabout itsdecision to imprison its own citizens. The power of language and how itaffectsnot only thevictim but also the instigator isdiscussed. Only in the final years of thetwentiethcentury,as government records became available to thepublic, were we able to examine and comprehend how usage ofwords such as "internment," "internment camps," and "relocation center" came tobe. Daniels points out how powerfulwords can be and thatchoices in theuse of language can affectall sides of an issue,not just thevictims.Words like"impris onment" and "concentration camps" correctly describewhat was done to JapaneseAmericans during World War II,but coming to terms with 312 OHQ vol. 107, no. 2 them and what they mean are as difficultfor thevictims as for the instigators. These and other essays in the book are well researched, thoroughly documented, and provide readers new knowledge and insights on issuesmany know only superficially.Each author covers the subject of his or her area of expertisewith greaterdetail than readerswould find in a more general treatment of history of theperiod. The essays arewell written and make interestingreading for thepublic. They are also a good resource forstudents searching for information. JuneArima Schumann OregonNikkei Legacy Center,Portland SUNSETLIMITED:THE SOUTHERN PACIFICRAILROAD AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AMERICAN WEST, 1850-1930 byRichard J. Orsi University of California Press, Berkeley, 2005. Photographs, maps, notes, index. 637 pages. $29.95 cloth. This is an important, revisionist look at one of the...