Yoshiro Tokiwa oral history interview, part 1 of 3, October 14, 2007

Files

Dublin Core

Description

Yoshiro "Yosh" Tokiwa is born on April 29, 1925, in Pismo, California. Yoshiro's Issei parents are from Japan. In Salinas, CA, his father is an independent farmer. Yoshiro has four siblings, three brothers, and a sister.

Growing up in Salinas, Yoshiro says he is not subjected to discrimination. However, he remembers not being allowed to swim in the public community swimming pool. Although there is no visible signage, Yoshiro says you just know not to go there because of other people's experiences. Later Yoshiro learns how to swim when he goes to Poston.

Yoshiro grows up in different cities in Salinas County. He describes his childhood homes. Yoshiro also discusses his school years from Elementary School to High School. Besides attending primary school, Yoshiro goes to Japanese Language School. At home, he speaks primarily Japanese to his parents.

The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, Yoshiro learns about the news from his father's friends. He discusses the effects of Pearl Harbor on the Japanese American Community.





Format

video/m4v

Identifier

2007OH0815_01_Tokiwa

Oral History Item Type Metadata

Date of Birth

1925 Apr 29

Location of Birth

War or Conflict

Branch of Service

Entrance into Service

Location of Basic Training

Citation

Tokiwa, Yoshiro: narrator, Garvey, John: interviewer, and Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher, “Yoshiro Tokiwa oral history interview, part 1 of 3, October 14, 2007,” Japanese American Military History Collective, accessed November 21, 2024, https://ndajams.omeka.net/items/show/1053496.