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Cage 654
Frank Chin
Oral History Collection, ca. 1974-1986
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| Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 Inquiries |
Cage 654
Frank Chin
Oral History Collection, ca. 1974-1986
The Frank Chin Oral History Collection was donated to the Washington State University Libraries in 1989 by Dr. Gail Nomura, former director of the Washington State University Asian American Studies Program. Dr. Nomura acquired the collection from Frank Chin; it was processed by Lisa Kliger in 1997 under the supervision of Manuscripts Librarian Robert Matuozzi.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Frank Chin (1940- ) was born in Berkeley, California, on February 25, 1940. After attending the University of California, Berkeley and Iowa State University, he earned his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1965. Frank Chin worked in railroads. His career includes stints as a writer, editor, and free-lance consultant and lecturer on Chinese Americans and racism. He was a film consultant and lectured and taught creative writing in the late 1960s and 1970s at San Francisco State College, the University of California, Berkeley, and at Western Washington University. He is the author of film scripts, plays, and short fiction. Chin was especially concerned with combating racist stereotypes of Asian Americans. This oral history collection is part of his ongoing effort to document the lives of Asian Americans.
ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION
The Frank Chin Oral History Collection consists of audio tape interviews, selected transcripts, and additional explanatory material. The interviews, all done either by Chin or Lawson Inada, are with Japanese Americans who were either native born, second generation Americans (Nisei), permanent U.S. residents born in Japan (Issei), or their family members. During World War II they became the focus of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066, issued on February 19, 1942. The result of Roosevelt's order was to strip the Nisei of their citizenship and both groups of their constitutional rights. Under the auspices of the War Relocation Authority, the Selective Service required both groups to answer a questionnaire that, among other things, questioned their willingness to serve in the U.S. military and their willingness to repudiate their allegiance to Japan. One group of Japanese American resisters became known as the "No-No Boys" because they answered negatively to both these questions. The people interviewed in these tapes were directly or indirectly affected by these events and they offer a variety of perspectives on their significance. During World War II, roughly 110,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned in U.S. government-run camps known as relocation centers. Other Japanese Americans willingly served in the U.S. military during World War II.
The collection is arranged alphabetically into three series. Series 1, Audio Tapes, consists of one hundred fifty-six of the original group of cassette tape interviews. They vary in actual recorded length on 60-90 minute tapes, with some interviews recorded on multiple cassettes. Entries include the interviewee and the date and location of the interview (when known). An asterisk at the end of an entry indicates the availability of a transcript, most of which are partial. Series 2, Transcripts, consists of sixteen typed transcriptions of some of the tapes in Series 1. In some cases, however, no reference tape is available. It should be pointed out that these transcripts are not entirely accurate and that different people may have transcribed the same or different portions of a given interview. Where possible, transcripts are cross-referenced to the tape from which they are taken. Series 3, Reference Material, consists of additional material about the collection, including notes on some of the interviewees, the names of transcribers (where available), and other information about the original project.
CONTAINER LIST
Box Tape Description Series 1: Audio Tapes 1 1 Akutsu, Jim. 2 September 1982. Seattle, Washington. . 2 Akutsu, Jim. 2 September 1982. Seattle, Washington. 3 Akutsu, Jim. 2 September 1982. Seattle, Washington. 4 Bullitt, Stimson. 9 August 1978. Seattle, Washington. 5 Chiyo; Nakata, Mike; Horiuchi; Sasaki, Shosuke. Undated. 6 Date, Don. Undated. [29 November 1981, as listed on transcription.] Gardena.* 7 Date, Don. 29 November 1981. Gardena.* 8 Emi, Frank. Undated. 9 Emi, Frank. 25 April 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 10 Emi, Frank. 25 April 1982. Los Angeles, California. 11 Emi, Frank. 25 April 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 12 Emi, Frank. 13 May 1982. Seto Restaurant. 13 Emi, Frank; Hayashi, Glen; Inada, Lawson. 13 May 1982. 14 Emi, Frank; Emi, Art. 16 May 1982. 15 Emi, Frank; Emi, Art. 16 May 1982. 16 Emi, Frank; Emi, Art. 2 May 1982. 17 Emi, Frank; Emi, Art. 2 May 1982. 18 Hamayoshi; Dinnon; Ino, Toru. 15 May 1982. 19 Heart Mountain 63: Tono, Jack; Torrance. 1 April 1982; 4 April 1982. 20 Heart Mountain 63: Torrance. 4 April 1982. 21 Heart Mountain 63. 9 April 1982. [Mountainview, California.] 22 Heart Mountain Resisters, Kozy's. 9 April 1982. Mountainview, California. 23 Heart Mountain Resisters: Omura; Emi; Sakai, Kozie. 19 May 1982; 22 May 1981. Mountainview, California. 24 Heart Mountain Resister: Sakai, Kozie. 22 May 1982. [Mountainview, California.] 25 Heart Mountain Resisters: Sakai, Kozie; Omura, James; Kawamoto, Dave. 22 May 1982. Mountainview, California. 26 Heart Mountain. 22 May 1982. [Mountainview, California.] 27 Heart Mountain Resisters: Fair Play. 22 May 1982. Mountainview, California. 28 Heart Mountain Fair Play. 22 May 1982. Mountainview, California. 29 Heart Mountain Fair Play; Omura, James. 22 May 1982; 25 May 1982. [Mountainview, California.] 30 Heart Mountain Sentinel. Undated. 31 Heart Mountain Sentinel. Undated. 32 Heart Mountain Sentinel. Undated. 33 Heart Mountain Sentinel. Undated. 34 Heart Mountain Sentinel. Undated. 2 35 Hirabashi [Hirabiyashi, Gordon]. Undated.* 36 Hirabiyashi, Gordon. 4 June 1983. San Francisco, California.* 37 Hirabiyashi, Gordon. 4/5 (?) June 1983. San Francisco, California.* Box Tape Description 2 38 Hirabiyashi, Gordon; Hirabiyashi, James. 4 June 1983; 5 June 1983. San Francisco, California.* 39 Hosokawa, Bill. 24 January 1979.* 40 Hosokawa, Bill. 25 January 1979. 41 Ito, Kenji. 1981. Los Angeles, California. 42 Kaku, Y.; Date, Don; Yamakido, J. 4 December 1982. 43 Kataoka, Masao; Omura, James; Emi, Frank. 18 September 1985. Los Angeles, California. 44 Kataoka, Masao; Omura, James; Emi, Frank. 18 September 1985. Los Angeles, California. 45 Kawai, Nobu. 26 May 1982. Pasadena, California. 46 Kawai, Nobu. 26 May 1982. Pasadena, California. 47 King, Frank Toshiyuke. 1 June 1982. Los Angeles, California. 48 King, Frank Toshiyuke. 1 June 1982. Los Angeles, California. 49 King, Frank Toshiyuke. 1 June 1982. Los Angeles, California. 50 Kitasako, John. Undated. [3 October 1982, as listed on transcription.]* 51 Koshiyama, Mits. 17 August 1984. Los Angeles, California. 52 Koshiyama, Mits. Undated. 52 Koshiyama, Mits. Undated. 53 Koshiyama, Mits. Undated. 54 Koshiyama, Mits, "Nakadate Hearing." 18 August 1984. [Los Angeles, California.] 55 Koshiyama, Mits, "Nakadate Hearing." 18 August 1984. [Los Angeles, California.] 56 Koshiyama, Mits. 18 August 1984. [Los Angeles, California.] 57 Koshiyama, Mits. 18 August 1984; 19 August 1984. Los Angeles, California. 58 Koshiyama, Mits. 19 August 1984. [Los Angeles, California.] 59 Koshiyama, Mits. 19 August 1984. [Los Angeles, California.] 60 Koshiyama, Mits. 19 August 1984. [Los Angeles, California.] 61 Kubota; Hirabayashi; with Kubota, Gloria; Kubota, Grace Ybarra; Ybarra; Sakai, Kozie; Nozawa, George; Wada, Patty. 5 June 1983. Toraiya Restaurant, San Francisco, California. 62 Kubota; Hirabayashi; with Kubota, Gloria; Kubota, Grace Ybarra; Ybarra; Sakai, Kozie; Nozawa, George; Wada, Patty. 5 June 1983. Toraiya Restaurant, San Francisco, California. 63 Kubota; Hirabayashi. 5 June 1983. Toraiya Restaurant, San Francisco, California. 64 Kubota, Grace Ybarra; with Inada, Lawson; Sakai, Kozie; Nozawa, George; Emi, Frank. 24 April 1983. San Jose, California. 65 Kubota, Grace Ybarra; Kubota, Gloria; with Inada, Lawson; Sakai, Kozie; Nozawa, George; Emi, Frank. Undated. [San Jose, California.] 66 Kubota, Grace Ybarra; Kubota, Gloria; with Inada, Lawson; Nozawa, George; Sakai, Kozie; Emi, Frank. 24 April 1983. San Jose, California. 67 Kunitsugu, Kats. 6 November 1982. Los Angeles, California. 68 Kunitsugu, Kats. Undated. Box Tape Description 3 69 Kuroki, Ben. 27 May 1982.* 70 Kuromiya, Yoshito. 11 January 1983. 71 Kuromiya, Yoshito. 11 January 1983. Los Angeles, California. 72 Masaoka, Mike; Tateshi; Yasui. 10 August 1982. Airport Hyatt, Los Angeles, California. 73 Masaoka, Mike. 10 August 1982. Airport Hyatt, Los Angeles, California. 74 Masuda, Thomas Shinao. 26 October 1981. 75 Mihara, Genji. 11 November 1978. Seattle, Washington. 76 Mihara, Genji. 11 November 1978. Seattle, Washington. 77 Miyamoto, Kazuo. 1 November 1979. Honolulu, Hawaii. 78 Miyamoto, Kazuo. 1 November 1979.* [Honolulu, Hawaii.] 79 Morita, Ichiro. 24 April/May (?) 1983* 80 Mrs. Motoda. 15 December 1978. Seattle, Washington. 81 Mrs. Motoda. 12 December 1978. Seattle, Washington. 82 Mrs. Motoda. 14 July 1979. 83 Mrs. Motoda. 14 July 1979. 84 Nozawa, George. 24 April 1983. 85 Omura, James. 14 May 1982; 15 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 86 Omura, James. 14 May 1982. Los Angeles, California. 4 87 Omura, James. 15 May 1982. Los Angeles, California. 88 Omura, James. 15 May 1982. Los Angeles, California. 89 Omura, James. 15 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 90 Omura, James. 18 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 91 Omura, James. 18 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 92 Omura, James. 18 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 93 Omura, James. 26 May 1982. Los Angeles, California. 94 Omura, James on Hosokawa's "JACL: In Quest of Justice" (#1). 25 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 95 Omura, James on Hosokawa's "JACL: In Quest of Justice" (#2). 25 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 96 Omura, James on Hosokawa's "JACL: In Quest of Justice" (#3). 25 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 97 Omura, James on Masaoka's "Final Report" (#1). 30/31 (?) May 1982. Los Angeles, California. [Los Angeles, California.] 98 Omura, James on Masaoka's "Final Report" (#2). 31 May 1982. Los Angeles, California. 99 Omura, James; Emi, Frank. 18 May 1982; 20 May, 1982. 100 Ozawa, Shig. January 1978. 101 Ozawa, Shig. January 1978. 102 Ozawa, Shig. Undated. 103 Osawa (Ozawa?), Shig. Undated. 104 Osawa, Shig. Undated. 105 Osawa, Shig. Undated. 106 Osawa, Shig. 12 August 1978. Baseball camp. 107 Osawa, Shig. 12 August 1978. [Baseball camp.] Box Tape Description 4 108 Sasaki, Shosuke; Ishu, David on Matilda Gibson, Pomoroy, "Uncle Ed"-- Books, Furuya. 5 August 1978 [on tape]; 12 November 1978 [on cassette slipcase]. Seattle, Washington. 109 Sasaki, Shosuke. 5 May 1978. [Seattle, Washington.] 110 Sasaki, Shosuke. Early life, Pomoroy, Zudo (?). 5 August 1978; 8 August 1978. Seattle, Washington. 111 Sasaki, Shosuke. Diaries--For Day of Rom (?), Pictures in Aldam (?), Pomoroy. 12 November 1978. Seattle, Washington. 112 Sasaki, Shosuke. 4 September 1982. 113 Sasaki, Shosuke. 4 September 1982. 114 Sasaki; Miyatake. 5 August 1978. 115 Sasaki; Miyatake. Undated. 116 Shimo, Cedric Masaki; Omura, James. 17 September 1985. Los Angeles, California. 117 Shimo, Cedric. 17 (7?) September 1985. [Los Angeles, California.] 118 Shimomura, Toku. Undated. 119 Shiozaki, Ron. 20 January 1986. 120 Somekawa; Miyatake; Omura, James. 6 September 1981; 10 September 1981. 121 Sugita, Kaoru (Emi); Sugita, Tee; Emi, Frank; Emi, Alice. 29 May 1982. Los Angeles, California. 122 Sugita, Kaoru (Emi); Emi, Alice; Emi, Frank. 29 May 1982. [Los Angeles, California.] 123 Sugita, Kaoru (Emi); Emi, Frank. 29 May 1982. Los Angeles, California. 124 Tada, Fred; Cena (?), Frank; (last name?),Gary. Undated. Los Angeles, California. 125 Tamesa, Uhachi; Tamesa, Kay. 4 September 1982. Seattle, Washington. 126 Tamesa, Uhachi; Tamesa, Kay. 4 September 1982. Seattle, Washington. 127 Tamesa, Uhachi. Undated. 128 Tanaka, Togo. 22 April 1977; 27 April 1977.* 129 Tani. Undated. 130 Tokuda, George. 9 November 1978. Seattle, Washington. 131 Tokuda, George; Tokuda, Toma. 9 November 1978. Seattle, Washington. 132 Tokuda, George; Tokuda, Toma. 9 November 1978. [Seattle, Washington.] 133 Tomita, Mas; Tomita, Yoshio. 13 December 1978. 134 Tomita, Mas; Tomita, Yoshio. Undated. 135 Tono, Jack; Yasutake (?), Mike. 27 October 1981. Chicago, Illinois. 136 Tono, Jack; Yasutake, Mike. 27 October 1981. [Chicago, Illinois.] 5 137 Tono, Jack; Yasutake, Mike. 27 October 1981. Chicago, Illinois. 138 Tono, Jack. 1 April 1982 (?). Silver Lake, California (?). 139 Townsend (Townsond?), George; Sasaki, Shosuke; Miyatake, Henry. 12 November 1978. Sequim, Washington. 140 Townsend, George. 12 November 1978. Sequim, Washington. 141 Townsend, George. 12 November 1978. Sequim, Washington. 142 Townsend, George. 12 November 1978. Sequim, Washington. Box Tape Description 5 143 Uno, Shigeko. 26 October 1978. Seattle, Washington. 144 Uno, Shigeko; Nogaki, Ken. 25 October 1978. Seattle, Washington. 145 Uomo (?), Harry. Undated. 146 Uyeda, Masato; Nakano (?), Ken. Bio--Immigration; Wyoming Mines; Railroad (?). 31 October 1978. Seattle, Washington. 147 Uyeda, Masato. 31 October 1978. Seattle, Washington. 148 Uyeda, Masato. 31 October 1978. Seattle, Washington. 149 Yamaguchi, Jack. Undated. [8 November 1978, cited on collection list.] Seattle, Washington. 150 Yamaguchi, Jack. Yamaguchi, Dorothy. 8 November 1978. Seattle, Washington. 151 Yamakido, Joe. 14 November 1982. Monterey Park, California. 152 Yamakido, Joe. 14 November 1982. Monterey Park, California. 153 Yamakido, Joe. 14 November 1982. Monterey Park, California.* 154 Yashima, Taro. 13 October 1980. 155 Yashima, Taro. 13 October 1980. 156 Minority Report: Frank Abe, KIRO NEWSRADIO 71 California redress bill, with Janet Masuda and "Desert Exile," by Yoshiko Uchida. Undated. Series 2: Transcripts 6 Folder 157 Date, Don. 5 pp. (Tape 6) 158 Date, Don. 34 pp. (Tape 6) 159 Date, Don. 15 pp. (Tape 7) 160 Hirabayashi, Gordon. 58 pp. (Tape 35) 161 Hirabayashi, Gordon. 24 pp. (Tape 36); 29 pp. (Tape 37); Hirabayashi, Gordon; Hirabayashi, James. 24 pp. (Tape 38) 162 Hosokawa, Bill. 17 pp. (Tape 39) 163 Ino, Toru. 29 pp. (No tape) 164 Kitasako, John. 31 pp. (No tape) 165 Kitasako, John. 17 pp. (Tape 50) 166 Kuroki, Ben. 56 pp. (Tape 69) 167 Miyamoto, Kazuo. 18 pp. (Tape 78) 168 Morita, Ichiro. 9 pp. (Tape 79) 169 Morita, Ichiro. 46 pp. (Tape 79) 170 Ramos, Amelita. 16 pp. (No tape) 171 Tanaka, Togo. 32 pp. (Tape 128) 172 Yamakido, Joe. 13 pp. (Tape 153) Series 3: Reference Material 173 Frank Chin Collection notes and materials.