Japanese American Books

I HAVE BORROWED THIS BOOK FROM A FRIEND AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTRESTED IN HOW WE TREATED THE JAPANESE AMERICANS AND AM THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME WAY OF LEARNING MORE ASIDE FROM TALKING THE SOME NISEI AND SOMETIMES IT IS VERY HARD FOR THEM TO TALK ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES THAT THEY ENCOUNTERED. I WANT TO ADD THIS BOOK TO MY LIBRARY AND POSSIBLE LEARN ENOUGH TO TEACH THE YOUNGER CHILDREN ABOUT THIS PART OF HISTORY THAT QUITE OFTEN IS OVERLOOKED.

"This blow-by-blow fictional account of a war between the United States and Japan was a forerunner of actual events, written 16 years before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Bywater, the world's leading naval authority in the period between the two world wars, prophesied the following: A Japanese surprise attack attacks U. S. naval forces in the Pacific. Japanese troops simultaneously invade the Phillippines and Guam. Recognizing their limits, Japanese commanders hold off from any attempt to capture Hawaii."

"This blow-by-blow fictional account of a war between the United States and Japan was a forerunner of actual events, written 16 years before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Bywater, the world's leading naval authority in the period between the two world wars, prophesied the following: A Japanese surprise attack attacks U. S. naval forces in the Pacific. Japanese troops simultaneously invade the Phillippines and Guam. Recognizing their limits, Japanese commanders hold off from any attempt to capture Hawaii."

In 1967, Col. Hans Christian Adamson and USAF Capt. George Francis Kosco USN, published "Halsey's Typhoons" with Crown, their magnificant eye witness account of the how two typhoons more powerful than the Japanese, dealt death and destruction to Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet. The book also recounts the dramatic rescue of the survivors, plucked from the sea by heroic Americans, and how Captain Henry Plage, against orders, sailed his ship, the USS Tabberer into typhoon Cobra,, making the rescue possible. The first of these typhoons, called Cobra, was the more powerful of the two, and was the one in which Plage defied the odds and made his rescue. Repudiating claims of Drury and Clavin that their "Halsey's Typhoon" tells the "untold rescue," this one came first and tells the story, based not only on an exensive interview with Henry Plage, but on Kosco's own experiences as Admiral Halsey's righthand man. The book contains dramatic photographs of the impact of the storms on the American ships, the rescue and of the rescued survivors. With yet another book about typhoon Cobra due out in March (Halsey's Typhoon" deals only with Cobra and not the second typhoon, Viper) there is renewed interest in these dramatic events. It is unfortunate that Drury and Clavin failed to give sufficient credit to Adamson and Kosco's "Halsey's Typhoons," the obvious inspiration for their own title. This does a great disservice to Kosco, a hero in his own right. There are passages in Drury and Clavin's book that are simple paraphrasing of language in the original. Because of this, they should have included "Halsey's Typhoons" and Adamson and Kosco in their acknowledgements. Instead, they merely list it in their bibliography along with dozens of other books, giving the impression that it was of no significant importance, To the contrary,"Halsey's Typhoons, " including the maps tracing the course of both storms, is the real deal, telling the story of the events, including the rescue; Even the map of Cobra's path in Drury and Calvin's book, bears a distinct resemblance to the map in "Halsey's Typhoons," a neglected, almost forgotten, classic that told the story first. It is extremly well written and powerful in its recounting of one of the most significant events in American naval history.

How ironic that the "Happy Way Courtyard" became an emblem of oppression under the heel of Japanese militarists! That which had formerly been a stronghold of conservative Christianity was drastically changed. For three decades these walls had housed a hospital, with nurses training school and doctors' residences, a Bible women's training school with dormatories, elementary and middle schools, as well as living quarters (single storied), row upon row. In a prominent place, near the main entrance, was the sturdily built brick church with a seating capacity of 300.

But in 1943 this community became the prison home for 1800 civilians from Allied nations. Malnutrition, disease and suffering made a mockery of the name, "Happy Way." Guard towers manned by Japanese soldiers, searchlights and machine guns became symbols of death and destruction. Yet the sudden dawn of the atomic age dramatically changed all, and the glorious moment of liberty finally cmae. At last, the loathsome bars of confinement were broken.

This acount of God's protection and care is a story of answered prayers. With thew recovery of freedom we were ushered into a world from which we had been isolated for four war-weary years.
--- excerpt from book's Preface

Diane Fujino accurately captures the strife of social injustices perpetrated by a nation that was and is still very much controlled by those who harbor deep rooted, yet carefully concealed, racist values. This is a fascinating read that follows the life of Yuri Kochiyama who was changed from an American with unquestioning loyalty to her country, into a TRUE American who stands up for the those persecuted in this nation for nothing more than belonging to a non-white race. Yuri was driven to question authority and speak out aganist the social injustices that had been all around her yet unnoticed until the bombing of Pearl Harbor highilghted the government sanctioned racism and unjustified persecution of her family and friends of Asian descent. This book applies every bit today as it did then.
A great read!

Another from the heart group of writings from David Masumoto. If you've ever been on farm or in a small town, these "letters" will really hit home. If you've read his other books, you will want to get this one.

This survey of the art of Hideo Date is published in conjunction with the Japanese-American National Museum and presents the artist's blend of Japanese and American painting. Gorgeous color paintings by a Japanese-American artist who survived the camps makes for a striking synthesis of styles and cultures.

Carl Boyd has produced an exceptionally lucid and revealing book that traces U.S. decoding attack on Berlin-Tokyo radio communications of Gen. Oshima Hiroshi, Japanese Ambassdor to the Third Reich, and its impact on the outcome of WWII. According to Boyd, these decoded diplomatic messages, known in the U.S. and Great Britain as MAGIC, were pivotal in Allied decision-making at critical junctures during the war. The author contends that, because the British were unable to read the secret communications of the top Nazi leadership, MAGIC filled a crucial gap in British ULTRA message decoding efforts. According to Boyd, Oshima was covertly converted into "an inadvertent informer of incalculable importance in leading the Allies to victory." Because Oshima had a very close personal relationship with Hitler and foreign minister von Ribbentropp, had their trust and respect, and had access to their higest level secrets, his MAGIC decoded radio messages were especially revealing and valuable for Allied planners. His military experience and analytical abilities also made his detailed characterizations of the disposition and condition of German forces in Europe and on the eastern front especially enlightening to the Allies and critical to planning for Operation OVERLORD. Boyd observes that "The margin of success on the Normandy beaches was narrow, but MAGIC and Anglo-American cooperation made the difference." Boyd's book is the first detailed account of Oshima's role as a primary source of Allied wartime intelligence through MAGIC. He draws heavily on declassified National Security Agency documents recently released to the National Archives. There is more, however, to this story of decoding covertly collected enemy radio intercepts that remains classified, especially in the British archives, which won't be declassified for more than twenty years. This is a thoroughly documented, superbly written, and rich account of the application of communications intelligence during WWII. It should be a stimulating read for all serious WWII historians and an entertaining read for all others.

An excellent, insightful collection of American stories gleaned from oral histories of the small-town community of Hood River, Oregon. Tamura herself has family from this area. Her scholarly eye focuses on the early immigrants of Japanese ancestry from the early 1900s, whose pioneering spirit and ingenuity helped them to survive the travails of the 1900s, including the Great Depression and en masse incarceration during World War II. A must read, in my opinion, for anyone seeking to study about this period in American history. I must reveal my bias, as a descendant of two of the featured "isseis," in the book. I personally do not know the author, but learned that first generation members of our families were friends. I was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, but grew up visiting Hood River with family, and have seen this town change over the past 30 years. My family and I have found the book to be honest and revealing into my grandparents' lives. The book peers into the lives of the extended "issei" community, who are now all but gone in the year 2006, but live on through stories such as those found in this book.