Becoming Nisei : Japanese American Urban Lives in Prewar Tacoma / Lisa M. Hoffman and Mary L. Hoffman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hoffman, Lisa M. (Lisa Mae), author.

Hoffman, Mary L., author.

Series:

The Scott and Laurie Oki series in Asian American Studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Japanese Americans.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (1 online resource xiv, 289 pages) : illustrations, maps.

Place of Publication:

United States of America : University of Washington Press, [2021]

Summary:

"As a key West Coast destination for Japanese immigration to the U.S., Tacoma's vibrant nihonmachi had a significant population of Issei and Nisei by the 1920s and 1930s. Prior to World War II, the Tacoma Japanese Language School served as a community hub for the Japanese American community in the city. Based on interviews with over 40 Nisei former students of the school, Lisa Hoffman and Mary Hanneman develop an interdisciplinary analysis of identity construction and negotiations over belonging by second generation Japanese Americans in pre-World War II urban America. With an approach both transnational in perspective and focused on urban space, the book explores the everyday lives of Japanese American children prior to incarceration, including the impact of their daily study at and participation in community events associated with the school. Drawing from interviews and archival sources, the authors illuminate the rich prewar cultural experiences of Japanese Americans in the city, a distinct social history often eclipsed by a focus on wartime incarceration. Additionally, the book underscores the role of the Japanese government and imperial Japanese educational traditions in shaping Tacoma's JLS, as Japan sought to emerge as an equal member of the international community."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction. Becoming Nisei: Spatial Stories and Imprints of Meiji Japan

From Meiji Japan to Tacoma: Establishing a New Community

Struggle and Hard Work in Tacoma: Nisei Stories of Family Work from Physical Labor to Entrepreneurialism

Japanese American Urban Lives: Spatial Stories of a Close Community in Tacoma

Expanding Spatial Representations of Japanese in Prewar Tacoma

The Impact of Kuniko and Masato Yamasaki, TJLS Teacher and Principal

Ethical Lessons of Shushin: Meiji Japan Woven into Nisei Stories

Conclusion. Incarceration, Dispersal, and Erasure: Destruction of a Community

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780295748238

0295748230

OCLC:

1150848422