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Akiko_1
"I love you. Bye." That's what Akiko says at the end of our each phone call.
I was introduced to Akiko through an artist in Edmonton.
When I first made a call to Akiko, I could feel the kindness and openness of her personality which made me smile. At the end of our very first call, she said, "I love you. Bye."
I was introduced to Akiko through an artist in Edmonton.
When I first made a call to Akiko, I could feel the kindness and openness of her personality which made me smile. At the end of our very first call, she said, "I love you. Bye."
Akiko_With a book written by her daughter, Sally.
Akiko_ Books written by her daughter. Front page of two books has artwork by Akiko's brother in law.
Akiko_2
Akiko_A dedication written by her sister in Japan who worked together with Akiko's daughter to create a book.
Akiko_ Sharing Japanese food with me
Paul_A photo of his grandfather and his dad as a young boy
"It goes back to the turn of the 1900s, so that's how far back my family started in Canada. Before that time, I have some knowledge thanks to some things that I have kept. My dad's side is from the families from the Iwakuni area in Japan.
This photo was taken after they came to Canada.
It goes back to the turn of the 1900s, so that's how far back my family started in Canada. Before that time, I have some knowledge thanks to some things that I have kept. My dad's side is from the families from the Iwakuni area in Japan. And my aunt wrote a little story about the Fujishige family.
What I've been able to read is that my grandparents met in Japan. I assume they were matched in Japan. My grandmother was a teacher and my grandfather was a policeman. They met, fell in love, and got married and then they immigrated to Canada. Part of the reason they immigrated to Canada was that there was no land inheritance that my family would have. It was an opportunity to come to Canada to get land and farm because Japan is very limited and usually it's the oldest son that inherits the property. If you're not the oldest son, then your chances are very low.
There was an opportunity in Canada and they came. Interestingly enough, my father's name was actually not Fujishige. It was Fuji. There was no sons in the Fujishige family. There was only my grandmother. So my grandfather changed his name in lieu of getting something.
That's how the Fujishige line continued because it was going to run out with my grandmother. "
This photo was taken after they came to Canada.
It goes back to the turn of the 1900s, so that's how far back my family started in Canada. Before that time, I have some knowledge thanks to some things that I have kept. My dad's side is from the families from the Iwakuni area in Japan. And my aunt wrote a little story about the Fujishige family.
What I've been able to read is that my grandparents met in Japan. I assume they were matched in Japan. My grandmother was a teacher and my grandfather was a policeman. They met, fell in love, and got married and then they immigrated to Canada. Part of the reason they immigrated to Canada was that there was no land inheritance that my family would have. It was an opportunity to come to Canada to get land and farm because Japan is very limited and usually it's the oldest son that inherits the property. If you're not the oldest son, then your chances are very low.
There was an opportunity in Canada and they came. Interestingly enough, my father's name was actually not Fujishige. It was Fuji. There was no sons in the Fujishige family. There was only my grandmother. So my grandfather changed his name in lieu of getting something.
That's how the Fujishige line continued because it was going to run out with my grandmother. "
Paul_Holding a family photo of his mother's side in Canada
"My mom's side, my grandparents, came to Canada in a different way. My grandfather was from the Fukuoka area.
He came to Canada by himself during the Gold Rush time. He was going to find gold, make his fortune and then go back to Japan. He was a single guy. There's legends of what happened to him. Apparently, he found some gold and he got robbed. So, he didn't have enough money to go back to Japan and stayed in Canada. His family wanted him to have a family. So my grandmother's a picture bride.
She met my grandfather at the docks in Victoria for the first time and they got married. I guess the scene was quite interesting where all of these picture brides from Japan would come on the boat. They'd land and then the men would be waiting for them and the minister would marry the whole group on the dock. My grandmother only met my grandfather the day they got married, the day she landed in Canada.
I know there's stories of people that sent flattering pictures of themselves. But I don't know how much of the picture my grandmother saw of my grandfather or whether it was sort of a made up thing.
I guess it probably didn't matter because she was best into marrying regardless of what she saw."
He came to Canada by himself during the Gold Rush time. He was going to find gold, make his fortune and then go back to Japan. He was a single guy. There's legends of what happened to him. Apparently, he found some gold and he got robbed. So, he didn't have enough money to go back to Japan and stayed in Canada. His family wanted him to have a family. So my grandmother's a picture bride.
She met my grandfather at the docks in Victoria for the first time and they got married. I guess the scene was quite interesting where all of these picture brides from Japan would come on the boat. They'd land and then the men would be waiting for them and the minister would marry the whole group on the dock. My grandmother only met my grandfather the day they got married, the day she landed in Canada.
I know there's stories of people that sent flattering pictures of themselves. But I don't know how much of the picture my grandmother saw of my grandfather or whether it was sort of a made up thing.
I guess it probably didn't matter because she was best into marrying regardless of what she saw."
Paul_Family Photo
"My mom's side in particular had a large family. This family photo was taken on their farm in BC, an area called Strawberry Hill before the war.
Both my father’s and mother’s families settled in the Vancouver area like most Japanese. And probably would have never left that area because both sides were farmers. But of course the war ended up interrupting a lot of things and they ended up moving away from BC because the government told them they had to. Obviously, I probably would have never been in Alberta. Probably would have been born and be around Vancouver and settled in that area.
Both sides of family were in Maple Ridge and had families.
My mom's side in particular had a large family. They were all strawberry farmers in that area. So as you can tell, lots of kids, ten children. So just an aside, my grandmother never spoke English. I did meet her, it was hard to communicate because she didn't know much English. My grandfather passed away either before I was born or when I was just a little child.
My grandmother, I remember, but I didn't really see her that often. My understanding from my mother is that my grandmother wasn't very happy. I don't think that the life she thought she would have was the life that happened. She ended up having kids most of her life. And her husband was a real character, my grandfather. Apparently a boozer. Someone that was very generous to others but not to his own family. There's only one grandparent of the four I ever met. My grandmother, Henta,
Their last name was Henta. So they'd say, “you're so lucky to have a dad like him because he's just such a nice guy.” And the kids would say, “are you talking about my dad? Because he's not that way with us.” He was very strict and very, I guess you'd call that abusive today towards his kids and it's just the way things were.
Today it's a lot different the way they talk. But in those days, he could beat his wife and the kids and nobody would say anything. But he was such a nice guy to everybody else. And he'd give the shirt off his back to others but not to his own family. So it was kind of a love hate relationship with his family.
And he was a real character, no question. He was well liked in a lot of ways. And a lot of his children, my uncles and aunts, you could see them in him or him in them because they were very sociable. They were very generous in a lot of ways like he was. But they were not a happy family, I don't think."
Both my father’s and mother’s families settled in the Vancouver area like most Japanese. And probably would have never left that area because both sides were farmers. But of course the war ended up interrupting a lot of things and they ended up moving away from BC because the government told them they had to. Obviously, I probably would have never been in Alberta. Probably would have been born and be around Vancouver and settled in that area.
Both sides of family were in Maple Ridge and had families.
My mom's side in particular had a large family. They were all strawberry farmers in that area. So as you can tell, lots of kids, ten children. So just an aside, my grandmother never spoke English. I did meet her, it was hard to communicate because she didn't know much English. My grandfather passed away either before I was born or when I was just a little child.
My grandmother, I remember, but I didn't really see her that often. My understanding from my mother is that my grandmother wasn't very happy. I don't think that the life she thought she would have was the life that happened. She ended up having kids most of her life. And her husband was a real character, my grandfather. Apparently a boozer. Someone that was very generous to others but not to his own family. There's only one grandparent of the four I ever met. My grandmother, Henta,
Their last name was Henta. So they'd say, “you're so lucky to have a dad like him because he's just such a nice guy.” And the kids would say, “are you talking about my dad? Because he's not that way with us.” He was very strict and very, I guess you'd call that abusive today towards his kids and it's just the way things were.
Today it's a lot different the way they talk. But in those days, he could beat his wife and the kids and nobody would say anything. But he was such a nice guy to everybody else. And he'd give the shirt off his back to others but not to his own family. So it was kind of a love hate relationship with his family.
And he was a real character, no question. He was well liked in a lot of ways. And a lot of his children, my uncles and aunts, you could see them in him or him in them because they were very sociable. They were very generous in a lot of ways like he was. But they were not a happy family, I don't think."
Paul_Paul's father in Haney Baseball team
"Here's a picture of my father. He liked playing baseball. His team, the Haney baseball team, was the best team other than the Asahi team, which is fairly famous for how well they were.
My grandfather(dad’s father) passed away in 1931 before the war. My grandmother went back to Japan after that because her mother was ailing.My grandmother was the oldest daughter of the family who was responsible to take care of the parents.
So she went back and took two of her daughters with her and left the rest of the family. My dad, being the oldest son and the oldest person in the family in Canada, had to look after the rest of the family. So there was him, my uncle, and two aunts. There were four of them left in Canada after their two siblings and mother went back to Japan.
I think my father was always resentful of his mother that she abandoned them. Then the war happened, and there was no possibility of movement either way. My great grandmother passed around the time of the war. And so she couldn't come to Canada if she wanted to at that point because of the war. That prevented any family reunion. My grandmother ended up dying in Japan. And one of my two aunts who went to Japan with my grandmother died in the bomb in Hiroshima.
And she was a nurse. And the other daughter did manage to get back to Canada eventually. But was estranged from the rest of the family, and there was never really any relationship there. The remaining siblings, they went their ways. They were all over the place, Canada, the U.S.
They'd get together occasionally, but not that often really. My father had to basically be the father to the family, because his father had passed and my grandmother was absent. He carried the family on."
My grandfather(dad’s father) passed away in 1931 before the war. My grandmother went back to Japan after that because her mother was ailing.My grandmother was the oldest daughter of the family who was responsible to take care of the parents.
So she went back and took two of her daughters with her and left the rest of the family. My dad, being the oldest son and the oldest person in the family in Canada, had to look after the rest of the family. So there was him, my uncle, and two aunts. There were four of them left in Canada after their two siblings and mother went back to Japan.
I think my father was always resentful of his mother that she abandoned them. Then the war happened, and there was no possibility of movement either way. My great grandmother passed around the time of the war. And so she couldn't come to Canada if she wanted to at that point because of the war. That prevented any family reunion. My grandmother ended up dying in Japan. And one of my two aunts who went to Japan with my grandmother died in the bomb in Hiroshima.
And she was a nurse. And the other daughter did manage to get back to Canada eventually. But was estranged from the rest of the family, and there was never really any relationship there. The remaining siblings, they went their ways. They were all over the place, Canada, the U.S.
They'd get together occasionally, but not that often really. My father had to basically be the father to the family, because his father had passed and my grandmother was absent. He carried the family on."
Paul_with his family album
"My grandmother never spoke English. When the times I did meet her, it was hard to communicate because she didn't know very much English."
Paul_Paul's father
Paul_An album his sister made for their parents' 50th wedding anniversary
Paul_His parents' wedding photo
"My parents’ wedding picture on February 3rd, 1935, and I don't know any of the people in that picture. My mother and my father were matched - matching of the families deciding who would marry who. That happened in arranged marriages.
And my father was older than my mother, I think by about eight years, my mom was 18. And so I would make my father something like 26, 27.
When my parents had their 50th anniversary, we had a party for them. My sister made this album."
And my father was older than my mother, I think by about eight years, my mom was 18. And so I would make my father something like 26, 27.
When my parents had their 50th anniversary, we had a party for them. My sister made this album."
Paul_16
Paul_ Young Paul at his sister's wedding
"In my sister’s wedding picture, I'm in there, a little boy. My sister, Helen and my sister Amy. Amy was the older of the two. They both got married in the same year.
I'm sort of a between generation person, because my sisters, for example, one was 21 years, the other was 19 years, older than me. I came along 20 years after my sisters. I was not expected. My mom was in her 40s when she had me. She had no idea at first. She went to the doctor, and the doctor would say, because she was 40, “you know, it's that time of life, menopause.” So she went home and then one day menopause kicked her. She went back to the doctor and said, “I don't think it's menopause because something just kicked me.” Then they realized that she was pregnant. It was me. So I came along. I'm happy that they talked about terminating the pregnancy because of her age and my mom and my dad said, “well, it's to be.”
I didn't realize until many years later that there was another child in between my sisters and me who was stillborn and would have been a boy.
This is probably Japanese - male heirs are very important to men, to families. So when there was another chance for another child as unexpected as it was, I was born, my dad was very happy that that happened. As a result, I got more spoiled. My sisters used to be jealous. They were older. They never got the things that I got as a young boy. I was so spoiled because I got to do things they never got to do. Now, the other part of it was when they were born and growing up, they were poor because again, there was the war. My sisters were four and six years old when they were interned during the war. They lost their home and they lived pretty much in poverty for many years before my family got back on its feet again in Winnipeg. So it was a different era and economic situation by that point, but still being the son, I got spoiled anyways."
I'm sort of a between generation person, because my sisters, for example, one was 21 years, the other was 19 years, older than me. I came along 20 years after my sisters. I was not expected. My mom was in her 40s when she had me. She had no idea at first. She went to the doctor, and the doctor would say, because she was 40, “you know, it's that time of life, menopause.” So she went home and then one day menopause kicked her. She went back to the doctor and said, “I don't think it's menopause because something just kicked me.” Then they realized that she was pregnant. It was me. So I came along. I'm happy that they talked about terminating the pregnancy because of her age and my mom and my dad said, “well, it's to be.”
I didn't realize until many years later that there was another child in between my sisters and me who was stillborn and would have been a boy.
This is probably Japanese - male heirs are very important to men, to families. So when there was another chance for another child as unexpected as it was, I was born, my dad was very happy that that happened. As a result, I got more spoiled. My sisters used to be jealous. They were older. They never got the things that I got as a young boy. I was so spoiled because I got to do things they never got to do. Now, the other part of it was when they were born and growing up, they were poor because again, there was the war. My sisters were four and six years old when they were interned during the war. They lost their home and they lived pretty much in poverty for many years before my family got back on its feet again in Winnipeg. So it was a different era and economic situation by that point, but still being the son, I got spoiled anyways."
Paul_His sisters' wedding photo
Paul_His Parent's Property
"There was a promise."
"Just prior to the war. My dad bought property in Haney.
They were building the house. This book outlined the families that owned property at the time of the war.
So this was his section there. They haven't even finished building the house.
They got close to being done and Pearl Harbor happened and then they lost their land. My dad was very bitter about the whole thing because they were starting a family. My two sisters were born. They finally got property. They were starting to farm it, cultivate it, and build a house. And then the war came and that was the end of that. It was taken away. He was given a promise that he would get it back from the government. There was a piece of paper which my father threw away. I wish he'd kept it.
I guess he was upset. And there's other people that had the same thing. They got these properties, the promises of property ,and that the government would give it back when the war was over. When the war was over, they all found out that the properties had been sold. Fishing boats, cars… some families buried things in their property thinking they would find it.
But of course they didn't. Squatters or people came in and purchased the land or occupied the land. By the time the war was over, there was nothing left to come back to. That was very hurtful.
And again it's this idea that my father and perhaps Japanese are this way- when someone makes a promise, you expect them to live up to their work. And when they don't live up to their word, you're violated. It's probably even more devastating because you thought the government was going to fulfill their promise to you. But they didn't."
"Just prior to the war. My dad bought property in Haney.
They were building the house. This book outlined the families that owned property at the time of the war.
So this was his section there. They haven't even finished building the house.
They got close to being done and Pearl Harbor happened and then they lost their land. My dad was very bitter about the whole thing because they were starting a family. My two sisters were born. They finally got property. They were starting to farm it, cultivate it, and build a house. And then the war came and that was the end of that. It was taken away. He was given a promise that he would get it back from the government. There was a piece of paper which my father threw away. I wish he'd kept it.
I guess he was upset. And there's other people that had the same thing. They got these properties, the promises of property ,and that the government would give it back when the war was over. When the war was over, they all found out that the properties had been sold. Fishing boats, cars… some families buried things in their property thinking they would find it.
But of course they didn't. Squatters or people came in and purchased the land or occupied the land. By the time the war was over, there was nothing left to come back to. That was very hurtful.
And again it's this idea that my father and perhaps Japanese are this way- when someone makes a promise, you expect them to live up to their work. And when they don't live up to their word, you're violated. It's probably even more devastating because you thought the government was going to fulfill their promise to you. But they didn't."
Paul_
"He never talked about the war and what happened. And my mother did eventually. But he never did. And he never talked about it. He was so upset by the whole thing. He called it being dishonored, basically.
So you're not fulfilling your obligation as a government. And he was born and raised in Canada. As were all of the people.
The other thing he was really upset about was the Buddhist church. They were Buddhist.They supported the government. To mean the internment. So my dad never went to a Buddhist church again. And that was the end of that.
He had very little to do with religion after that because of the things that were done. He wasn't bitter. I didn't hear him talk bitterly about his life.
I guess he's another Japanese thing I hear about all the time. You know, it is what it is. You move on. You can't do anything about it. So why dwell on it?
Just carry on with your life. And that's what he did. He carried on with his life."
So you're not fulfilling your obligation as a government. And he was born and raised in Canada. As were all of the people.
The other thing he was really upset about was the Buddhist church. They were Buddhist.They supported the government. To mean the internment. So my dad never went to a Buddhist church again. And that was the end of that.
He had very little to do with religion after that because of the things that were done. He wasn't bitter. I didn't hear him talk bitterly about his life.
I guess he's another Japanese thing I hear about all the time. You know, it is what it is. You move on. You can't do anything about it. So why dwell on it?
Just carry on with your life. And that's what he did. He carried on with his life."
Paul_Claim
"I don't think it amounted to anything.
I found this out because of landscapes of injustice. They had done a search and found many materials. My father never mentioned this. After the war, they allowed families to file claims for the property. So it was called the Byrd Commission. Byrd was the name of this bureaucrat for the government. He went across the country and took these statements from families.
I didn't know my father had filed a claim. But he did. I don't think it amounted to anything.
He didn't get anything more. So this is a claim. So they outlined the property and all the things that he had left.
And the value and those dollars.
It was after the war, so maybe in the 50s, 60s. They weren in Winnipeg by that time.
They did it, and many families did it. My uncle filed there too. As did other friends of my parents. But my father never talked about it."
I found this out because of landscapes of injustice. They had done a search and found many materials. My father never mentioned this. After the war, they allowed families to file claims for the property. So it was called the Byrd Commission. Byrd was the name of this bureaucrat for the government. He went across the country and took these statements from families.
I didn't know my father had filed a claim. But he did. I don't think it amounted to anything.
He didn't get anything more. So this is a claim. So they outlined the property and all the things that he had left.
And the value and those dollars.
It was after the war, so maybe in the 50s, 60s. They weren in Winnipeg by that time.
They did it, and many families did it. My uncle filed there too. As did other friends of my parents. But my father never talked about it."
Paul_ The only Christmas family photo
"My mother very much wanted me to be Canadian. Not Japanese-Canadian. Because being Japanese-Canadian in the early 60s, there was still the pain of the war. And so for other families to know you were Japanese, it wasn't really a good thing.
Because you could face some hate. And so my mom said, don't learn Japanese. You don't have to learn Japanese. You learn French. Because French and English are the languages in Canada."
Because you could face some hate. And so my mom said, don't learn Japanese. You don't have to learn Japanese. You learn French. Because French and English are the languages in Canada."
Paul_ School photo
"It's so weird to be called a race's name when it wasn't your race."
"So this is my grade one class picture. The interesting thing about it is that I looked at it in later years, and up to grade four, it was essentially the same pictures. I'm the only person in there that is not white.
You grow up feeling you're white when you're surrounded by a white. Only every so often you get reminded that you're not. When someone you don't know calls you a name, and then you realize, okay, yeah, I guess. Because you grow up not thinking you're that. You grow up thinking you're like everybody else. Because everybody else, your friends, your neighbors, they all look different. It's a different lens when you're looking out, as opposed to looking in.
And in Winnipeg in Saint-Fatel where I grew up, I did not really know anybody that was Japanese.
Jap was a very derogatory term. And my mom just hated to hear that. Because that's what she was called when they were forced to leave. And it just hurt her, because these were friends that suddenly were enemies.
She didn't feel she was any different, but they changed. And they were not welcome. And so, there were prejudices for many years. And that subsided over time.
But, you know, it was hard for her. I would get called different names too. Different derogatory, because people don't know. So, Chinese people, they were chanks.
So, I'd be called a chank. Yeah, they don't know that. It's so weird to be called a race's name when it wasn't your race."
"So this is my grade one class picture. The interesting thing about it is that I looked at it in later years, and up to grade four, it was essentially the same pictures. I'm the only person in there that is not white.
You grow up feeling you're white when you're surrounded by a white. Only every so often you get reminded that you're not. When someone you don't know calls you a name, and then you realize, okay, yeah, I guess. Because you grow up not thinking you're that. You grow up thinking you're like everybody else. Because everybody else, your friends, your neighbors, they all look different. It's a different lens when you're looking out, as opposed to looking in.
And in Winnipeg in Saint-Fatel where I grew up, I did not really know anybody that was Japanese.
Jap was a very derogatory term. And my mom just hated to hear that. Because that's what she was called when they were forced to leave. And it just hurt her, because these were friends that suddenly were enemies.
She didn't feel she was any different, but they changed. And they were not welcome. And so, there were prejudices for many years. And that subsided over time.
But, you know, it was hard for her. I would get called different names too. Different derogatory, because people don't know. So, Chinese people, they were chanks.
So, I'd be called a chank. Yeah, they don't know that. It's so weird to be called a race's name when it wasn't your race."
Paul_A family history book written by his aunt
"...my father's attitude. You can't do anything about it. So just carry on."
Paul_history
"...you want to show that you belong in Canada. And you're going to tell your kids this too, you have to be good, super good at anything you do. We don't want any bums that are Japanese because that's only going to give people a chance to say, look at that Japanese person, he's a real bum. And that's what they are, they're all dirty bums. My mom told me, “you need to do well at whatever you do. She said, "I don't care what you do, but do it, do it to the best of your ability.”
My sisters would tell me that too."
As a result, with many Japanese Canadians, you find them to be successful professionals, business people, because they took very seriously that they reflected on their race if they were not successful."
My sisters would tell me that too."
As a result, with many Japanese Canadians, you find them to be successful professionals, business people, because they took very seriously that they reflected on their race if they were not successful."
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