Welcome to the second season of “beyond generations,” an interview series. It’s my journey of discovering what happened to Japanese American people during WWII, and how people have been trying to acknowledge, understand, and learn from it, and figure out how to connect it to the future. I am your host, Monica.

Today’s guest is Jay Rubin. He is the author of a novel the Sun Gods, a story about a Caucasian boy and his adopted Japanese mother whose lives were separated at the mercy of World War II. The story takes you to Seattle, to Camp Minidoka, and to Japan - before, during, and after the war.

Jay Rubin is also one of the most distinguished English-language translators of Japanese literature.

In this episode, Jay will talk about how he got interested in studying Japanese, how his moving to Seattle made him start working on this novel, and how crucial it was for him to have a deep experience with the Japanese language and people to write this story.

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Special thanks to Jay Rubin and Rakuko Rubin

Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay

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Join our community on Instagram @beyondgenerations.seattle

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References:

About Jay Rubin

https://rijs.fas.harvard.edu/jay-rubin

About the novel “The Sun Gods”

https://www.chinmusicpress.com/product-page/the-sun-gods

The Japanese translation version of the novel “The Sun Gods” 「日々の光」

https://www.shinchosha.co.jp/book/505372/

About Reverend Emery Andrews

https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Emery_Andrews/

About Ada Mahon

https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Ada_Mahon/

Minidoka Interlude, reprint of original “yearbook”

https://www.minidoka.org/shop/minidoka-interlude

Minidoka Irrigator

https://www.minidoka.org/blog/minidoka-irrigator

About Haruki Murakami

https://www.harukimurakami.com/author

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Happy to hear your feedback at beyondgenerations.seattle@gmail.com

Welcome to the second season of “beyond generations,” an interview series. It’s my journey of discovering what happened to Japanese American people during WWII, and how people have been trying to acknowledge, understand, and learn from it, and figure out how to connect it to the future. I am your host, Monica.

Today’s guest is David Yamaguchi. He is the editor of the North American Post, the community newspaper that has been serving Seattle's Japanese American Community since 1902.

In this episode, David will talk about how a stack of family letters he found in his parents’ basement helped him learn about his family history and how it guided father-son conversations that revealed some amazing facts about his father’s younger days including why he took a typewriter to Minidoka.

You will be surprised how little you know about the person who is behind the North American Post that is such a familiar face in Seattle’s Japanese American community.

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Glossary:

• Some abbreviations David used

INS=Immigration and Naturalization Service

WRA=War Relocation Authority

JCCCW= The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington

• Some Japanese words David mentioned

Nisei-han: 2.5 generation Japanese American（2世半）

Senbei: Japanese rice crackers （煎餅）

Shiryo: Documents. Historical documents in this episode’s context （資料）

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Special thanks to David Yamaguchi and Gwen Shigihara

Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay

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Join our community on Instagram @beyondgenerations.seattle

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References:

About David Yamaguchi

https://napost.com/author/david-yamaguchi/

About David's Dad

https://napost.com/2020/dad-vigilante/

About David's aunt

https://napost.com/2022/natsuko-chin-rn-elected-to-wsna-hall-of-fame/

About the North American Post

https://napost.com/about/

Follow the NAP on social media

https://www.facebook.com/TheNorthAmericanPost/

https://www.instagram.com/napost1902/

Subscribe to the NAP

https://napost.com/subscribe/

The NAP contact

https://napost.com/contact/

Send David Yamaguchi articles and photos!

david@napost.com

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Happy to hear your feedback at beyondgenerations.seattle@gmail.com

Welcome to the second season of “beyond generations,” an interview series. It’s my journey of discovering what happened to Japanese American people during WWII, and how people have been trying to acknowledge, understand, and learn from it, and figure out how to connect it to the future. I am your host, Monica.

Today’s guest is Tamiko Nimura. She is a third generation Japanese American. She is a co-author of a graphic novel “We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration.” She is also an organizer of the annual Day of Remembrance in Tacoma and Affiliate Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Washington Tacoma.

In this episode, Tamiko will talk about how her Japanese American father made her proud of her heritage as a child and how she found her purpose and mission as a public historian.

Let me take you along on my journey of discovery, with Tamiko Nimura.

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Special thanks to Tamiko Nimumra

Music by ZakharValaha from Pixabay

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Join our community on Instagram @beyondgenerations.seattle

-----------------------------

References:

About Tamiko Nimura

https://www.tamikonimura.net/about/

Follow Tamiko Nimura on Instagram (@tamikonimura)

https://www.instagram.com/tamikonimura/

We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration

https://www.chinmusicpress.com/product-page/we-hereby-refuse

Tacoma Japantown Walking Tour app (Apple)

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tacoma-japantown-walking-tour/id1234039256

Tacoma Japantown Walking Tour (Google Play)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.realizedsound.tacomajapantownwalkingtour&hl=ur&gl=US&pli=1

South Sound Day of Remembrance 2023 in Tacoma

https://napost.com/2023/dayofremembrance_0512/

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Happy to hear your feedback at beyondgenerations.seattle@gmail.com