Thanks for sharing this Joe. It means a lot to me. Two of my uncles on my mother’s side of the family were going to school in California when WWII broke out. They ended up in internment camps. They never wanted to talk about it. I didn’t even know about their experience until I started writing a paper about the camps in college. Then my mom told me about their experience.
They were put in the camps because they were supposedly a threat to the security of our nation due to their Japanese ancestry, even though they were US citizens by birth. They were nevertheless allowed to leave the camps to join the military and fight for their country in Europe. They were part of the 442nd infantry regiment, the most decorated regiment in US history, composed almost entirely of Japanese Americans.
I love this story that you shared. I knew nothing of it before today. It fills me with hope to know that even in such trying times two teams of young baseball players, who could have viewed each other as mortal enemies, were able to compete against each other and come away respecting each other for their love of the game.
It saddens me that the adults in the room would not let them continue their competition in another game. Let this be a reminder to us that kids are not born prejudiced. It is something they are taught by adults.
Again, thank you for sharing this story. And I can’t wait for Why We Love Baseball!!!
This was moving and very well-written. I teach Washington State history and cover the Japanese-American internment at length. My students are always surprised and saddened by how our country treated it’s own out of fear and hate. I am always reminded of how impressive those who were interned responded to the unthinkable and overcome such bigotry and hate.
Here is a Ted Talk of George Takei that is about his experience as a child and coming to grips with it later in his life: https://youtu.be/LeBKBFAPwNc
The Vancouver Asahi get a brief mention in this post, who are the Canadian side of the internment of Japanese Canadians and is part of my family history.
Coincidentally, the last living Asahi lives in my hometown and just celebrated his 100th birthday this past year.
Check out The Story of the Vancouver Asahi by Norio Goto.
Great story and sad reminder of one of the darker chapters of American history (sadly, there are many dark chapters). Its truly a shame that we have rarely lived up to the prose of the founding fathers (who were flawed in many ways but wrote of the ideals of a world yet lived).
No country is without its flaws but it would take a much longer space and research to do comparisons. I have lived 64 years in this country and studied much of American history. While there is much to be proud of in our past, there are also ugly chapters that should have light shone upon them - the Japanese-American internment camps are certainly one of those chapters. Those who want to whitewash history do a disservice to everyone. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana
I have a BA in history and agree with your second comment.
What bothered me was the last sentence of your first comment disparaging both the country and the founding fathers. No country or people have been or are perfect and it's not a shame for either to fall short. The good has greatly outweighed the bad and I know you won't find any that has done better for the world or its own.
I am a great admirer of our founding fathers although just as Noah was a righteous man for his time they were such in their time. My point of that second sentence was not criticism but rather that through the constraints of their time, their writings and framework allowed for growth to an idealistic society. Lincoln to me is the most exemplary of our leaders and based upon his writings and speeches seemed to understand their goals and intentions best. I am not a fan of FDR based in large part for his lack of Holocaust response, the Japanese internment camps, his 2-faced approach to the formation of the State of Israel and a number of his domestic and constitutional abuses.
thank you SO much for this, Joe -- it is an extraordinary story, a gripping narrative that has a tight hold on your heart you from start to finish -- and reminds us once again, why we love baseball
Phenomenal story. So glad you shared it. Feeling it on many levels
Thanks for sharing this Joe. It means a lot to me. Two of my uncles on my mother’s side of the family were going to school in California when WWII broke out. They ended up in internment camps. They never wanted to talk about it. I didn’t even know about their experience until I started writing a paper about the camps in college. Then my mom told me about their experience.
They were put in the camps because they were supposedly a threat to the security of our nation due to their Japanese ancestry, even though they were US citizens by birth. They were nevertheless allowed to leave the camps to join the military and fight for their country in Europe. They were part of the 442nd infantry regiment, the most decorated regiment in US history, composed almost entirely of Japanese Americans.
I love this story that you shared. I knew nothing of it before today. It fills me with hope to know that even in such trying times two teams of young baseball players, who could have viewed each other as mortal enemies, were able to compete against each other and come away respecting each other for their love of the game.
It saddens me that the adults in the room would not let them continue their competition in another game. Let this be a reminder to us that kids are not born prejudiced. It is something they are taught by adults.
Again, thank you for sharing this story. And I can’t wait for Why We Love Baseball!!!
Thank you, Lisa, for writing this and Narratively and Joe for sharing it.
This was moving and very well-written. I teach Washington State history and cover the Japanese-American internment at length. My students are always surprised and saddened by how our country treated it’s own out of fear and hate. I am always reminded of how impressive those who were interned responded to the unthinkable and overcome such bigotry and hate.
Here is a Ted Talk of George Takei that is about his experience as a child and coming to grips with it later in his life: https://youtu.be/LeBKBFAPwNc
Thanks for this link!
The Vancouver Asahi get a brief mention in this post, who are the Canadian side of the internment of Japanese Canadians and is part of my family history.
Coincidentally, the last living Asahi lives in my hometown and just celebrated his 100th birthday this past year.
Check out The Story of the Vancouver Asahi by Norio Goto.
Thank you, Joe, for sharing this, but also thank you to Lisa Heyamoto, for writing it.
For another very well-written depiction of the Japanese internment camps, I recommend "When the Emperor Was Divine" by Julie Otsuka.
What a gift. Beautifully written story about an incredibly meaningful game from US history. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Sounds like a show or movie could be developed from this story. Joe - know any Hollywood screenwriters and occasional Poscasters?
Thanks for that beautiful story. There should be a book of those. Now I wonder who would write it, hmmm.
Great story and sad reminder of one of the darker chapters of American history (sadly, there are many dark chapters). Its truly a shame that we have rarely lived up to the prose of the founding fathers (who were flawed in many ways but wrote of the ideals of a world yet lived).
Too bad we can't give thumbs down to a comment.
What country do you think is or has been better?
No country is without its flaws but it would take a much longer space and research to do comparisons. I have lived 64 years in this country and studied much of American history. While there is much to be proud of in our past, there are also ugly chapters that should have light shone upon them - the Japanese-American internment camps are certainly one of those chapters. Those who want to whitewash history do a disservice to everyone. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana
I have a BA in history and agree with your second comment.
What bothered me was the last sentence of your first comment disparaging both the country and the founding fathers. No country or people have been or are perfect and it's not a shame for either to fall short. The good has greatly outweighed the bad and I know you won't find any that has done better for the world or its own.
I am a great admirer of our founding fathers although just as Noah was a righteous man for his time they were such in their time. My point of that second sentence was not criticism but rather that through the constraints of their time, their writings and framework allowed for growth to an idealistic society. Lincoln to me is the most exemplary of our leaders and based upon his writings and speeches seemed to understand their goals and intentions best. I am not a fan of FDR based in large part for his lack of Holocaust response, the Japanese internment camps, his 2-faced approach to the formation of the State of Israel and a number of his domestic and constitutional abuses.
Thanks, Joe.
Thanks, Joe. So many emotions while reading this.
Thank you for sharing such a powerful story, Joe.
thank you for sharing this
thank you SO much for this, Joe -- it is an extraordinary story, a gripping narrative that has a tight hold on your heart you from start to finish -- and reminds us once again, why we love baseball