This document provides background information on Japanese immigration to the White River Valley region of Washington state. It describes how the first Japanese immigrants (Issei) arrived in the late 1800s to work on farms and railroads after anti-Chinese immigration laws restricted Chinese workers. It discusses some of the discrimination faced by early Japanese immigrants and how they established families and communities in the White River Valley region. The document is presented as a story and includes photographs to help illustrate the experiences of these early Japanese immigrant families in Washington state.

1. Shirakawa
Shirakawa
(“White River”)
STORIES FROM A
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY

2. Shirakawa
Shirakawa
- Part 1 -
STORIES FROM A
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY

3. Shirakawa
1. Immigrants

4. Shirakawa
America has been called a
―nation of nations.‖
We all have ancestors
who immigrated here from
other places, other countries.

5. Shirakawa
Japanese immigrants
first arrived in
the United States
in the 1880s. . . .

6. Shirakawa
Japanese immigrants
first arrived in
the United States
in the 1880s. . . .
They left families and friends behind,
dreaming of better jobs and opportunities
in America.

7. Shirakawa
In 1880,
there was just 1 person of
Japanese ancestry in
Washington State.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

8. Shirakawa
In 1880,
there was just 1 person of
Japanese ancestry in
Washington State.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
In 1900,
there were over 5000.
Courtesy WRVM JACL Album Collection

9. Shirakawa
If you know about Japanese sports,
you know that ―one, two, three‖
in Japanese is ―ichi, ni, san‖
(pronounced ―ee-chee, nee, sahn‖).

10. Shirakawa
If you know about Japanese sports,
you know that ―one, two, three‖
in Japanese is ―ichi, ni, san‖
(pronounced ―ee-chee, nee, sahn‖).
That is written with script
borrowed from the Chinese. . . .
like this

11. Shirakawa
If you know about Japanese sports,
you know that ―one, two, three‖
in Japanese is ―ichi, ni, san‖
(pronounced ―ee-chee, nee, sahn‖).
That is written with script
borrowed from the Chinese.
But it’s usually written from top to bottom . . .
like this

12. Shirakawa
If you know about Japanese sports,
you know that ―one, two, three‖
in Japanese is ―ichi, ni, san‖
(pronounced ―ee-chee, nee, sahn‖).
That is written with script
borrowed from the Chinese.
But it’s usually written from top to bottom . . .
like this
(Easy as 一 二 三 , isn’t it!)

13. Shirakawa
Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning
―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say.

14. Shirakawa
Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning
―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say.
They called their 2nd
generation children ―Nisei‖
. . . pronounced nee-say.

15. Shirakawa
Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning
―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say.
They called their 2nd
generation children ―Nisei‖
. . . pronounced nee-say.
OK, your turn.
They call their 3rd
generation grandchildren . . . . . ?

16. Shirakawa
Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning
―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say.
They called their 2nd
generation children ―Nisei‖
. . . pronounced nee-say.
OK, your turn.
They call their 3rd
generation grandchildren ―Sansei‖
Right! And it’s pronounced . . . . ?

17. Shirakawa
Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning
―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say.
They called their 2nd
generation children ―Nisei‖
. . . pronounced nee-say.
OK, your turn.
They call their 3rd
generation grandchildren ―Sansei‖
. . . pronounced sahn-say.
Great!
(Now you’re speaking Japanese!)

18. Shirakawa
Japanese immigrants called themselves ―Issei‖, meaning
―1st life‖ or ―1st generation.‖ It’s pronounced ee-say.
They called their 2nd
generation children ―Nisei‖
. . . pronounced nee-say.
OK, your turn.
They call their 3rd
generation grandchildren ―Sansei‖
. . . pronounced sahn-say.
Everyone of Japanese origin is called ―Nikkei‖ (nee-kay).

19. Shirakawa
The Issei came East from Japan to America on ships.

20. Shirakawa
The Issei came East from Japan to America on ships.
The trip across the Pacific Ocean could be long and hard.
(Definitely not a Carnival Cruise!)

21. Shirakawa
The Issei came East from Japan to America on ships.
The trip across the Pacific Ocean could be long and hard.
In 1900, Matahichi Iseri
traveled to America on his own,
joining his half-brother.
―Mat‖ was 16 years old.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

22. Shirakawa
The Issei came East from Japan to America on ships.
The trip across the Pacific Ocean could be long and hard.
In 1914 at age 16, Yohei Hikida crossed
the Pacific on his own to join his dad
in Washington. He kept house, cooked,
cleaned, helped on the farm, and enrolled
at the local grade school to learn English.
Courtesy of Tom Hikida

23. Shirakawa
Many Issei looked for work in cities like
Seattle and Tacoma.

24. Shirakawa
But many more found jobs in the countryside
away from big cities.
The United States was growing fast.
New technology was starting up everywhere.

25. Shirakawa
2. White River

26. Shirakawa
Japanese labor teams worked for busy railroads, sawmills,
and fish canneries all around the Pacific Northwest.

27. Shirakawa
Japanese labor teams worked for busy railroads, sawmills,
and fish canneries all around the Northwest.
Big work teams were also needed on farms.

28. Shirakawa
Many Issei came from farming villages in Japan.

29. Shirakawa
The White River Valley was
the biggest, most fertile
farm belt between Seattle and Tacoma.

30. Shirakawa
Where does this
―WHITE RIVER‖
come from?

31. Shirakawa
Where does this
―WHITE RIVER‖
come from?
Well, it starts
on the biggest
volcanic mountain
in the contiguous
(―connected‖) 48 States.

32. Shirakawa
MT. RAINIER,
the most famous landmark in all of Washington State,
14,410 feet tall!
NW Coastal Indians
called her "Ta-ko-ma" Courtesy Wikipedia Commons, WSiegmund
which is said to mean . . . ―she who gives us the waters."

33. Shirakawa
On Mt. Rainier is the huge
Emmons Glacier 
the biggest ice mass in the contiguous 48 States.

34. Shirakawa
On Mt. Rainier is the massive
Emmons Glacier 
the biggest ice mass in the contiguous 48 States.
This sea of slow-moving,
slow-melting ice is the main
source of the
White River. 

35. Shirakawa
For ages, the river has run from Mt. Rainier through deep
gorges and wide valleys to big salt-water bays in what we
call Puget Sound.
Courtesy LOC #g4284t.pm009790

36. Shirakawa
For ages, the river has run from Mt. Rainier through deep
gorges and wide valleys to big salt-water bays in what we
call Puget Sound.
The deltas at the end of the rivers are where the cities of
Seattle and . . .
Tacoma grew up.
Courtesy LOC #g4284t.pm009790

37. Shirakawa
Names for the White River varied with different cultures
and languages . . .

38. Shirakawa
Names for the White River varied with different cultures
and languages . . .
Native Americans called it ―Stokh‖ (where it ran near
today's Kent and Auburn). They called themselves
―St-kah-mish‖— ―people of the Stokh River.‖

39. Shirakawa
Names for the White River varied with different cultures
and languages . . .
Native Americans called it ―Stokh‖ (where it ran near
today's Kent and Auburn). They called themselves
―St-kah-mish‖— ―people of the Stokh River.‖
• In the 19th century, pioneer immigrants saw the
milky silt in its water and called it "White River.‖

40. Shirakawa
Names for the White River varied with different cultures
and languages . . .
Native Americans called it ―Stokh‖ (where it ran near
today's Kent and Auburn). They called themselves
―St-kah-mish‖— ―people of the Stokh River.‖
• In the 19th century, pioneer immigrants saw the
milky silt in its water and called it "White River.‖
• And Japanese immigrants called it ―Shirakawa‖ –
a direct translation of the English . . .

41. Shirakawa
Shiroi means ―White‖ . . . . . .
Kawa means ―River‖ . . . . . .
Together they read . . . . . . “Shirakawa”

42. Shirakawa
The tallest, most loved mountain in Japan is
Mt. Fuji,
another volcano.

43. Shirakawa
The tallest, most loved mountain in Japan is
Mt. Fuji,
another volcano.
Over the ages,
it has been
portrayed in
countless works of Japanese art.

44. Shirakawa
Mt. Rainier reminded the Japanese of Mt. Fuji when
they came to Washington State.
They even called it
Takoma-no-Fuji. . .
―Tacoma’s Mt. Fuji.‖

45. Shirakawa
The character of the valley — river channels, living spaces,
work places — has changed a lot in the last 160 years.

46. Shirakawa
The character of the valley — river channels, living spaces,
work places — has changed a lot in the last 160 years.
In 1906, the route of the White River was even changed.
It no longer flows through the White River Valley!
The Green River took its place from Auburn to Tukwila!

47. Shirakawa
The character of the valley — river channels, living spaces,
work places — has changed a lot in the last 160 years.
In 1906, the route of the White River was even changed.
It no longer flows through the White River Valley!
The Green River took its place from Auburn to Tukwila!
But the historical name, ―White River Valley,‖
has not been forgotten.

48. Shirakawa
3. Roots

49. Shirakawa
Asian immigrants often faced cruel discrimination in
America. But some of their non-Asian neighbors grew to
respect them and their work.

50. Shirakawa
Asian immigrants often faced cruel discrimination in
America. But some of their non-Asian neighbors grew to
respect them and their work.
In 1882, the US Congress passed laws to stop the
immigration of workers from China. Violent riots made it
even harder for the Chinese to work in America.

51. Shirakawa
The Issei came to seek
their fortunes where
Chinese workers were
no longer welcomed.

52. Shirakawa
The Issei came to seek
their fortunes where
Chinese workers were
no longer welcomed.
Japanese immigrants
tried hard to imitate
American ways . . .
and they often took jobs nobody else wanted.

53. Shirakawa
The first known record
of Issei workers in the
White River Valley
was written in 1892. . . .

54. Shirakawa
The first known record
of Issei workers in the
White River Valley
was written in 1892. . . .
Many Issei joined with Indian and Caucasian workers
(kids included) to harvest hops, a crop that earned big
money for White River Valley farm owners.

55. Shirakawa
There was a big backlash in the local press. This 1893
article in Kent’s White River Journal newspaper called
Japanese workers ―distasteful‖ and ―irresponsible.‖
Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection

56. Shirakawa
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00818
But many valley farmers still counted on their help,
saying they were ―conscientious, determined, and thrifty.‖

57. Shirakawa
The Issei also found other kinds of jobs.
Mat Iseri worked
as a ―houseboy‖–
a kind of servant –
while he enrolled
in night school to
learn English.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
No one knew that someday he would become
a leader in his community.

58. Shirakawa
Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection
Despite their efforts to fit in, the Japanese still faced a lot
of prejudice. Newspaper editors and union leaders often
raged against them, but they kept on trying for jobs.

59. Shirakawa
Around 1900, some Issei farm workers began to lease
small plots of land for their own farms.

60. Shirakawa
Around 1900, some Issei farm workers began to lease
small plots of land for their own farms.
Once again, newspapers exploded against them.

61. Shirakawa
Angry disrespect for the Japanese was stirred up all around
the West Coast.

62. Shirakawa
Angry disrespect for the Japanese was stirred up all around
the West Coast.
US law said that Asian immigrants were
not allowed to become American citizens.

63. Shirakawa
By 1908, Japanese immigration to the US had became very
restricted.

64. Shirakawa
By 1908, Japanese immigration to the US had became very
restricted.
But the wives and brides of workers already making a living
in America could still come join their families.

65. Shirakawa
Kisa Okuna crossed the ocean to Washington in 1907
to marry Mat Iseri. She was 19.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

66. Shirakawa
Kisa Okuna crossed the ocean to Washington in 1907
to marry Mat Iseri. She was 19.
This is the family she left behind
. . . maybe forever, she thought sadly.
both Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

67. Shirakawa
When Sen Natsuhara arrived in Seattle in 1905, the first
thing she and her husband, Chiyokichi (―Charles‖), did was
to have a wedding ceremony on board her ship.

68. Shirakawa
When Sen Natsuhara arrived in Seattle in 1905, the first
thing she and her husband, Chiyokichi (―Charles‖), did was
to have a wedding ceremony on board her ship.
Then he bought her some American-style clothes and took
her home to his tiny place at an Auburn farm.

69. Shirakawa
Courtesy WRVM #PO03564 Natsuhara Family Collection
In a few years, two children had joined the family.
Now America finally felt like Sen’s home.

70. Shirakawa
Shirakawa
- Part 2 -
STORIES FROM A
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY

71. Shirakawa
4. Nisei

72. Shirakawa
It was a new era.
Families blossomed
as children arrived.

73. Shirakawa
It was a new era.
Families blossomed
as children arrived.
both Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
A new generation
of American citizens
—the Nisei—
sprouted in the US.

74. Shirakawa
While their families multiplied, Issei farmers grew produce
and sold it at farm stands and markets.

75. Shirakawa
While their families multiplied, Issei farmers grew produce
and sold it at farm stands and markets.
Remember the Iseri family?
Mat and Kisa leased a farm in Sumner, Pierce County.

76. Shirakawa
While their families multiplied, Issei farmers grew produce
and sold it at farm stands and markets.
Remember the Iseri family?
Mat and Kisa leased a farm in Sumner, Pierce County.
When their first child, Tom, was born in 1907,
they brought him to work!

77. Shirakawa
While their families multiplied, Issei farmers grew produce
and sold it at farm stands and markets.
Remember the Iseri family?
Mat and Kisa leased a farm in Sumner, Pierce County.
When their first child, Tom, was born in 1907,
they brought him to work!
No one knew that this baby would grow up to be
a Nisei leader.

78. Shirakawa
Better transportation brought new energy to the
White River Valley.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00053

79. Shirakawa
Better transportation brought new energy to the
White River Valley.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00053
This was the Seattle/Tacoma Interurban passenger train,
which also took farm products to nearby cities.

80. Shirakawa
Huge new milk canning factories were opened in the valley.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00359

81. Shirakawa
Huge new milk canning factories were opened in the valley.
Vintageprintable.com
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00359
This building in Kent was where Carnation first canned
their famous ―evaporated milk‖ in 1899.

82. Shirakawa
Many Issei farmers bought herds of dairy cows.
If they could keep up with this hard way of life, it paid off.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00210

83. Shirakawa
Many Issei farmers bought herds of dairy cows.
If they could keep up with this hard way of life, it paid off.
Every member of the family pitched in to help with family
businesses.

84. Shirakawa
After chores, there was time for fun,
Like marbles and kites
And a whole lot more.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

85. Shirakawa
After chores, there was time for fun,
Like marbles and kites
And a whole lot more.
both Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
Hanging out was never a bore!

86. Shirakawa
In back that’s Mike with his
older brother, Tom.
In front are their other brothers,
―Skeeter‖ and ―Mun.‖
The Iseri Brothers, 1915

87. Shirakawa
No one knew then
that little Skeeter
would not live long
enough to become
a grownup . . .
Or that one day
Mike would Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
become a real soldier, and give his life for his country.

88. Shirakawa
New Japanese stores and businesses appeared.
The Natsuhara family began
importing rice and tea in 1914
to sell to their Japanese
neighbors. The family built the
business and ran their store
in Auburn for 85 years.

89. Shirakawa
The Iseri family was still growing.
They moved to ―Thomas,‖ a tiny farming town in the
White River Valley between Auburn and Kent.

90. Shirakawa
The Iseri family was still growing.
They moved to ―Thomas,‖ a tiny farming town in the
White River Valley between Auburn and Kent.
Here they are in 1918, picking berries with other families.

91. Shirakawa
Mat is stacking boxes on the wagon.
Tom is 10 now, riding a bike nearby.

92. Shirakawa
Mat is stacking boxes on the wagon.
Tom is 10 now, riding a bike nearby.
Skeeter, baby Alice, Mun, and Mike are trying to help.
Tom’s 2nd sister, Mae, is there, too, but you can’t see her!

93. Shirakawa
Kisa–sitting on the left–will give birth
to Mae in about a month!

94. Shirakawa
When Mae arrived
and got old enough
to play, her dad
took her for rides
on their horse,
Fanny . . .
unless, of course,
Fanny was still
at work.
all Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

95. Shirakawa
The Issei formed Japanese clubs and organizations of all
kinds, and included family members as much as possible.
Courtesy WRVM JACL Album Collection
There was a close Nikkei community spirit in the valley.

96. Shirakawa
As kids grew older, their parents usually enrolled them
in local public schools.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00024

97. Shirakawa
As kids grew older, their parents usually enrolled them
in local public schools.
The first known Japanese to attend school in the White
River Valley was this 18-year-old at Thomas Grade School.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00024

98. Shirakawa
In 1904, James Higashida was so eager to learn English,
he signed up for 1st grade!
Later, he became a dentist in Seattle.

99. Shirakawa
By 1915, half of these 3rd and 4th graders at Thomas School
were Nisei . . .
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00463 Yamada Family Collection

100. Shirakawa
By 1915, half of these 3rd and 4th graders at Thomas School
were Nisei . . .
including Tom and Mike Iseri.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00463 Yamada Family Collection

101. Shirakawa
Three years later, a new Thomas School Building was built.
The old two-room schoolhouse was bought by some Issei
and moved down the road a mile . . .
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00015

102. Shirakawa
Three years later, a new Thomas School Building was built.
The old two-room schoolhouse was bought by some Issei
and moved down the road a mile . . .
Courtesy White River Buddhist Temple
where it became the White River Buddhist Church.

103. Shirakawa
The Buddhist Church also held a weekday Japanese
Language School, started by Issei parents so their children
could learn about their family’s language and culture.
Courtesy White River Buddhist Temple

104. Shirakawa
After regular school, Nisei kids in Thomas walked (or biked)
to their other school for the rest of the day! They hated it –
until they grew up and discovered all they had learned!
Courtesy White River Buddhist Temple

105. Shirakawa
In some classrooms, like this one in Thomas,
Nisei kids outnumbered others 2 to 1.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00461 Yamada Family Collection

106. Shirakawa
In some classrooms, like this one in Thomas,
Japanese kids outnumbered others 2 to 1.
There’s Mae Iseri, growing up fast.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00461 Yamada Family Collection

107. Shirakawa
One of Mae’s classmates was Gordon Hirabayashi.
Many years later, he would be named as ―one of the
100 Washingtonians who most changed the world.‖
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00461 Yamada Family Collection

108. Shirakawa
Not many Issei parents spoke much English. It was hard
for them to know what was going on at their kids’ schools.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
So in 1927, Mat Iseri helped start the first ever
Japanese PTA in the United States at Thomas School.

109. Shirakawa
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
Like other Americans, White River Nikkei were free to
choose a religious faith and practice to follow. This kids’
celebration was held at the White River Buddhist Church.

110. Shirakawa
Courtesy WRVM JACL Album Collection
Christian groups also formed in several neighborhoods.
This Sunday School met near Kent.
It was started by a Japanese High School student.

111. Shirakawa
Life was better when people worked and played together.
There were births . . .
Courtesy White River Buddhist Temple

112. Shirakawa
Life was better when people worked and played together.
There were births . . . and weddings . . .
Courtesy of Hatsume Murakami Sao

113. Shirakawa
Life was better when people worked and played together.
There were births . . . and weddings . . . and funerals . . .
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

114. Shirakawa
Life was better when people worked and played together.
There were births . . . and weddings . . . and funerals . . .
and traditional Japanese celebrations . . .
like mochitsuki at
New Year’s time–
making pounded
rice cakes
(mochi) from
steamed rice Courtesy WRVM JACL Collection
using big
wooden
mallets . . .
Courtesy WRVM JACL Album Collection

115. Shirakawa
Life was better when people worked and played together.
There were births . . . and weddings . . . and funerals . . .
and traditional Japanese celebrations . . .
. . and like Obon,
a Buddhist
celebration of
ancestry.
These girls
dressed up in
kimono for the
traditional odori
dancing.
Courtesy Densho #pd-p159-00240 Ochikubo Collection

116. Shirakawa
But lots of people were still angry about the success of
Japanese immigrants and their children.
Between 1921 to 1924,
new Washington State
laws banned land
ownership and farm
leasing by aliens.
A new federal law
stopped any more
immigration from
Asian countries.
Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection

117. Shirakawa
Now every hope of Mat and Kisa Iseri
and all other Issei in America was placed in their Nisei kids.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
Alice Tom Mike Mun Skeeter Mae
George Mat Oscar Dan Carl Kisa

118. Shirakawa
5. Harvest

119. Shirakawa
Despite many restrictions, even more family stores, like the
Iseri General Store in Thomas, opened around the valley.
It grew from this . . .
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

120. Shirakawa
Despite many restrictions, even more family stores, like the
Iseri General Store in Thomas, opened around the valley.
It grew from this . . . to this in three years.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

121. Shirakawa
Nearby, the Tsuchiya family opened their flower shop and
greenhouses.
From 1934 book “Zaibei Doho Jigyoka Shashin-cho”

122. Shirakawa
From 1934 book “Zaibei Doho Jigyoka Shashin-cho”
The Kadoyama greenhouses were west of Kent.
A K-Mart store stands on this spot today.

123. Shirakawa
Just up the road was the Tsubota Sawmill.
Things seemed to be looking up for members of the White
River Valley Japanese Community.
From 1934 book “Zaibei Doho Jigyoka Shashin-cho”

124. Shirakawa
The number of Japanese American kids at White River
Valley schools continued to grow. . .
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

125. Shirakawa
The number of Japanese American kids at White River
Valley schools continued to grow. . .
There’s Mae . . . a 7th grader at Thomas School in 1930.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

126. Shirakawa
And there’s Gordon, an 8th grader. He was such a good
student, the school skipped him up a grade.
No wonder he became a professor as an adult.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

127. Shirakawa
Some Nisei were great athletes, too.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-01070

128. Shirakawa
Some Nisei were great athletes, too.
One of the stars on this State champion 1925 Auburn High
School football team was Kimeo Hirose.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-01070

129. Shirakawa
White River Valley people were thrilled in 1927 when
the first ever international high school baseball exchange
game in the United States was played in Auburn.

130. Shirakawa
White River Valley people were thrilled in 1927 when
the first ever international high school baseball exchange
game in the United States was played in Auburn.
The touring Japanese National H.S. Champions played a
Kent area All-star team, which included two Nisei.

131. Shirakawa
The Japanese community had its own sports leagues,
and baseball was the favorite game.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
These kids played on a White River Buddhist Church team
long before national Little League Baseball ever got started.

132. Shirakawa
Growing older, they joined youth teams.
The Kent and Auburn baseball teams won championships
6 years in a row in the local Nisei League.
Courtesy WRVM #PO-03288 Natsuhara Family Collection

133. Shirakawa
This Auburn girls’ basketball team was also
Courtesy WRVM #PO-03123 Shimojima/Sugai Collection
the champion of its league.
(Happy coach . . . champs and girls!)

134. Shirakawa
Issei parents also taught their children
native Japanese sports, like sumo wrestling . . .
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
(Tough guys . . . no girls!)

135. Shirakawa
. . . and judo. This was the White River Dojo (judo club).
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
(More tough guys . . . no girls here either!)

136. Shirakawa
. . . and judo. This was the White River Dojo (judo club).
The Dojo started in 1927 in Mat Iseri’s warehouse.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
The teacher was called ―Sensei,‖ a very respectful title.

137. Shirakawa
Have you ever been to summer camp?
A Seattle Japanese church group held a summer
―Fresh Air Camp‖ at the Green River near Auburn.
Courtesy of Hatsume Murakami Sao

138. Shirakawa
Have you ever been to summer camp?
A Seattle Japanese church group held a summer
―Fresh Air Camp‖ at the Green River near Auburn.
Courtesy of Hatsume Murakami Sao
Hundreds of Japanese American city kids came every year
to enjoy country life for a week or two.

139. Shirakawa
Nisei kids took part in school clubs, church activities,
and sometimes took private lessons.
These Kent girls studied
Japanese dancing (called ―odori‖).
Courtesy of Amy Hanada Nikaitani

140. Shirakawa
Nisei kids took part in school clubs, church activities,
and private lessons.
These Kent girls studied
Japanese dancing (called ―odori‖).
Gordon Hirabayashi
was one of many
Nisei who joined the Scouts. Courtesy NARA #NWDNS-210-G-B570

141. Shirakawa
Youth clubs grew young new leaders.

Courtesy WRVM JACL Album Collection
Tom Iseri, became the Japanese American Citizens League
(JACL) Northwest District Chairman in 1935.

142. Shirakawa
Organized in 1929, the JACL soon became America’s
most important organization for young adult Nisei.
Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection
Under Tom’s leadership, the district convention was held at
Kent High School in 1935.

143. Shirakawa
The mayors of both
Auburn and Kent
spoke to the group
of 400 delegates,
who came from
all around Washington,
Oregon, and Idaho.
After the meetings,
there was a
fine banquet
and big dance. Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

144. Shirakawa
The Valley JACL group sponsored many other
district activities, like Japanese-style dramas (―shibai‖).
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
Some guys cast in this comical play were
good sports about wearing girls’ kimonos!

145. Shirakawa
In the 1930s, Japanese truck farmers
in the White River Valley became very successful.
From 1934 book “Zaibei Doho Jigyoka Shashin-cho”

146. Shirakawa
Some valley produce went to markets in
Seattle or Tacoma, like the famous Pike Place Market.
From 1934 book “Zaibei Doho Jigyoka Shashin-cho”
(That’s a lot of carrots!)

147. Shirakawa
Courtesy WRVM #PO-01191 JACL Album Collection
But most of it was taken to the shipping companies
that cropped up around the valley,
like the White River Packing Company in Kent . . .

148. Shirakawa
Courtesy WRVM #PO-01060 Yamada Family Collection
And this packing shed in Auburn.
Tom Iseri and a partner owned the business.
That’s Tom’s sister, Mae, on the right – all grown up.

149. Shirakawa
At the packing sheds, farm-fresh vegetables and berries
were cleaned and boxed and loaded onto trains,
then shipped to eastern cities like Chicago and New York.
Courtesy of Amy Hanada Nikaitani
(Mmmm . . . more carrots!)

150. Shirakawa
The White River Packing Company was owned by
Kent’s E. K. Saito, shown here with his family.
People thought he was the richest Japanese in the valley.
From 1934 book “Zaibei Doho Jigyoka Shashin-cho”
Their house is now the home of the Kent Historical Society.

151. Shirakawa
Kent had a famous community celebration
in the 1930s called . . . ―The Lettuce Festival!‖
They called Kent ―The Lettuce Capital of the World!‖
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00356
(―Lettuce Grow With Kent‖—get it?)

152. Shirakawa
Thousands of people came to Kent for the festival.
They even invited President Roosevelt with
this giant postcard, displayed by May and Amy Hanada.
Courtesy of Amy Hanada Nikaitani
(He couldn’t come.)

153. Shirakawa
Most of Kent’s lettuce was grown by Nikkei farmers.
In this advertising photo for the festival, ―Bertha‖ the
fake gorilla posed with a Japanese American farmer.
Courtesy of Amy Hanada Nikaitani
The newspaper picture showed Bertha, but not the farmer.

154. Shirakawa
Part of the annual celebration was making
the ―world’s largest tossed salad!‖
Pretty girls in rubber boots tossed lettuce with pitchforks!
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00836A
(But did anyone eat the stuff?)

155. Shirakawa
A ―lettuce queen‖ was elected each year.
Mr. Saito’s adopted daughter was the 1935 queen.
Here she is with Mayor Wooden (in back with the hat) . . .
Courtesy WRVM #PO-00897
and her court of Japanese attendants.

156. Shirakawa
Goodwill seemed to rule White River Valley neighbors.
The outlook in 1941 for Nisei kids like Tom and Mae’s
youngest brothers beamed brighter than ever.
(Bill, Oscar, & Carl Iseri) Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

157. Shirakawa
Shirakawa
- Part 3 -
STORIES FROM A
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
JAPANESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY

158. Shirakawa
6. WAR!

159. Shirakawa
On December 7, 1941,
Japanese military forces sprang
a massive air attack
on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

160. Shirakawa
America was suddenly and totally involved
in World War II.

161. Shirakawa
Dozens of Issei community leaders on the West Coast, like
Mat Iseri and E.K. Saito, were arrested by the FBI.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada Courtesy of Hatsume Murakami Sao
They had done nothing wrong. But some government
officials thought Japanese leaders might turn against
America and help their one-time homeland.

162. Shirakawa
Both Mr. Iseri and Mr. Saito
had come to the US as very young men.
Both had spend about two-thirds of their lives
living and working and raising families here.

163. Shirakawa
Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection
Tom Iseri, still the Northwest District Chairman of the JACL,
wrote to newspapers, asking for calm and understanding
about Japanese American loyalty to the US.

164. Shirakawa
His brother, Mike,
and many other Nisei
hurried to sign up for
the US Army.
At first, the military
didn’t know
what to do with them.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

165. Shirakawa
The country was worried about Japanese Americans.
Frightened people expressed many strong feelings.

166. Shirakawa
But the country still worried about Japanese Americans.
Frightened people expressed many strong feelings.
Those who had opposed the Nikkei for so long spoke out
more loudly than anyone else, spreading the word that
anyone with Japanese blood must surely be an enemy.
Both courtesy of NARA

167. Shirakawa
Even the famous Dr. Seuss stood against everyone
Japanese—the enemy nation and American Nikkei alike.
Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection

168. Shirakawa
Even the famous Dr. Seuss stood against everyone
Japanese—the enemy nation and American Nikkei alike.
His cartoons portrayed
them all as sneering,
look-alike terrorists.

169. Shirakawa
Never allowed to become American citizens, Issei like
Mat and Kisa knew they would be watched like enemies.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

170. Shirakawa
Never allowed to become American citizens, Issei like
Mat and Kisa knew they would be watched like enemies.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada
But what about their American children? Would Tom, Mike,
Mae and the rest still be able to live like other Americans?

171. Shirakawa
The final answer astonished them.
Courtesy LOC
On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt gave national
security leaders emergency powers to decide who might be
dangerous. He also directed them to move those they
considered dangerous away from possible war zones.

172. Shirakawa
The US Army General in charge of defending
the Western States decided that the Issei and all of
their descendants had to move away from the West Coast.
Courtesy US Army
A lot of government leaders disagreed with him, but they
had given him the power to order what he wanted.

173. Shirakawa
During World War II, only Japanese American citizens
received this kind of full-group treatment in the USA.
Courtesy NARA #210-G-A78
The official racial discrimination of their country was
shocking for young Nisei who grew up saying the Pledge of
Allegiance and studying the Constitution in school.

174. Shirakawa
Soon these gloomy signs were posted all around the valley.
Courtesy WRVM Natsuhara Family Collection

175. Shirakawa
Soon these gloomy signs were posted all around the valley.
The orders were aimed at ―all persons of Japanese
ancestry, both alien and non-alien‖ – a tricky way to
include ―American citizens‖ without saying so.
Courtesy WRVM Natsuhara Family Collection

176. Shirakawa
Every West Coast Nikkei had to register with the
government, and then was assigned a family number . . .
and issued identity tags.
Courtesy NARA #210-G-A573
Courtesy WRVM Matsuda Family Collection

177. Shirakawa
The Iseri family, Hirabayashis,
Natsuharas, Hikidas, and all
their Nikkei neighbors sold or
stored their things.
Courtesy LOC #8c24383u
They locked their businesses,
and packed their bags
for travel to inland
detention camps.
Courtesy Densho

178. Shirakawa
It was a sad time for everyone.
For Japanese American kids,
it was totally confusing.
Courtesy LOC #8a31197u
Courtesy LOC #8a31174u
When the time chosen for them to leave came,
all Nikkei felt upset by what was happening to them.

179. Shirakawa
But the only Nisei in Washington State to protest openly
against it was Gordon Hirabayashi, from Thomas.
When the war started,
he was a student living in Seattle.
Courtesy of Maxie Shimojima Sugai

180. Shirakawa
The authorities told him he had to obey their curfew and
relocation orders like everyone else.
Gordon said doing so
just because of his
Courtesy 1940 Tyee and UW Special Collections
Japanese ancestry would
disregard the US Constitution,
which would be doing wrong.
They would have to arrest him and try him in a court.

181. Shirakawa
His famous case was taken all the way to the US Supreme
Court. But he lost! The judges said the Constitution didn’t
allow him to ignore the orders during a wartime crisis.
Courtesy Densho #pd-i119-00045 Minidoka Irrigator Collection
It took more than 40 years before Gordon’s case was
reviewed and his conviction of crimes was erased.

182. Shirakawa
As for the rest of the White River Valley Nikkei,
they boarded trains in Auburn or Renton
and were taken away, guarded by armed soldiers . . .
Courtesy Tacoma Public Library

183. Shirakawa
. . . to ―assembly center‖ camps like this one in California.
Courtesy LOC #3c37821v

184. Shirakawa
After a few months, they packed again and were taken to
official detention camps they called ―relocation centers‖. . .
Courtesy Bureau of Reclamation
. . . like this one – Tule Lake in California.

185. Shirakawa
Life for White River Valley Nikkei and their entire
community was changed forever.
Courtesy NARA #210-G-D207

186. Shirakawa
They made the best of their new lives, and did what they
could to get along and help each other out.
Some people were angry or depressed.
Others kept looking for new opportunities,
new things to learn, new ways to pass the time.
Courtesy NARA #210-G-A631 (l) & Densho #pd-p13-00041 Mamiya Family Collection (r)

187. Shirakawa
But kept behind a fence, it was impossible for the Nisei to
best serve their country when it most needed their help.
Courtesy NARA #210-G-H444

188. Shirakawa
When the chance opened up, many more Nisei joined the
armed forces, proving their loyalty to America.
Courtesy Densho #pd-i114-00089 Seattle Nisei Veterans Collection
The bravery of their units became famous.

189. Shirakawa
Some soldiers, like Mike Iseri and Bill Taketa,
sacrificed everything.
The Kent newspaper listed their names among those who
died in combat.
Courtesy WRVM Newspaper Collection and Seattle Nisei Veterans Committee (photos)

190. Shirakawa
7. Return

191. Shirakawa
A lot of White River Valley folks back home did not want
their former Japanese
American neighbors
to return after the war.
Their sacrifices did
not matter to you
if your heart was
bitter.
In 1943, the
Mayor of Kent
had signs printed
to show his
point of view.
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

192. Shirakawa
Stores in Kent and Auburn were asked to post the signs.
This Kent barber
was glad
to do it.
The story appeared
in newspapers and
inTime magazine.
Courtesy Densho #pd-i73-00001 Bettmann Archive / Corbis Collection #BEO71994

193. Shirakawa
The story appeared
in newspapers and
inTime magazine.
Courtesy Densho #pd-i36-00007 MOHAI Collection (Seattle P-I Collection #PI-28084)
Over 300 Nikkei families had been taken from the valley,
but only about 25 families returned after the war.

194. Shirakawa
Mat and Kisa Iseri’s family
found a welcome in the Eastern
Oregon town of Ontario.
Most of their large family
settled there.
But their daughter, Mae,
returned to the White River Valley.
She had married Maki Yamada early in the war.
Both Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

195. Shirakawa
Maki was overseas in the US Army, so Mae and her kids
moved back to the old Iseri family home.
Neighbors who already knew Mae welcomed them back.
The rest soon realized that all Americans have basic rights,
no matter where their ancestors came from.
Courtesy of Doug Yamada

196. Shirakawa
Armed
with decency and
the work standards their parents taught,
White River Valley Nikkei rebuilt their lives.
Once again they won the full respect of their neighbors.

197. Shirakawa
Mat Iseri passed away in Ontario, Oregon in1961.
Kisa lived on. When she turned 100, the city awarded her
and the whole Iseri family its ―Outstanding Citizen Award.‖
Courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

198. Shirakawa
In 1988, America finally admitted that it had done wrong
toward Japanese Americans during World War II.
The US decided to make redress payments
to every relocation camp survivor.
Many Issei, like Mat Iseri,
had already died.
Courtesy Densho #pd-p179-00248 Nakamura Family Collection

199. Shirakawa
However, Kisa went to Washington, DC to take part in
the very first redress payment ceremony.
It was October 9, 1990, and she was 102 years old.
Kisa also received this apology signed by the President.
Both courtesy of Mae Iseri Yamada

200. Shirakawa
About a year later, Kisa passed away.
She had survived her husband
and 7 of her 12 children.
Page from The Boise Statesman, March 21, 1988

201. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Stan Flewelling
Mae kept books of pictures and a mind full of memories,
sharing them with anyone who would listen.

202. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Barbara Campbell
She joined the White River Valley Historical Society and
was an honorary board member there until her last days.

203. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Stan Flewelling
She talked with school kids whenever she could . . .

204. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Stan Flewelling
. . . and helped organize reunions of her childhood friends
from Thomas Grade School.

205. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Stan Flewelling
She visited museums and libraries in Montana,
where her dad, Mat, had first been locked up . . .

206. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Stan Flewelling
. . . and the National Archives in Washington, DC, where
she looked up records about her family during the War . . .

207. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
. . . and her brother Mike’s Army service in Europe
. . . and his death in France.
Courtesy Densho #pd-p105-00020 Tsubota Family Collection (Purple Heart) & Mae Iseri Yamada

208. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Courtesy of Lu Yamada Wiley
She even visited France and talked to people who
remembered the bravery of Japanese American soldiers.

209. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Both by Stan Flewelling
She visited Mike’s grave in Seattle every Memorial Day.

210. Shirakawa
Mae Iseri Yamada raised her family in Kent and Auburn.
She had many good friends and was always full of energy.
Stan Flewelling
In 2006, Mae was elected the ―Pioneer Queen‖ of Auburn
and was crowned by the Mayor.

211. Shirakawa
She passed away in November 2010 at age 92.
Her story will stay alive as long as she is remembered.
Courtesy Auburn Senior Center

212. Shirakawa
She passed away in November 2010 at age 92.
Her story will stay alive as long as she is remembered.
This presentation is dedicated to the memory of
Mae Iseri Yamada and her whole family.

213. Shirakawa
Credits:
Thanks to Pat Filer and Historylink.org for giving the Shirakawa story a new
chance at life.
Thanks also to the many people and organizations who have shared
generously from their photo and document collections. Here are some of the
abbreviations for historical archives used in this presentation:
• WRVM: White River Valley Museum (Auburn, WA)
• DENSHO: Densho, The Japanese American Legacy Project (Seattle, WA)
• MOHAI: Museum of History and Industry (Seattle, WA)
• LOC: Library of Congress (Washington, DC)
• NARA: National Archives and Records Administration (Washington, DC
and College Park, MD)

214. Shirakawa
THE END