Interview with Mary Akiko Kawasaki (nee Mori)

Title
Interview with Mary Akiko Kawasaki (nee Mori)
Accession number
2011.259
Interviewer
Lisa Uyeda
Videographer
Lisa Uyeda
Date of Interview
Language
English
Description

Mary Akiko Kawasaki (nee Mori)'s was born in Fairview in Vancouver, BC in 1927. Mary talks about her family immigration history - her father emigrated to Canada in 1897 at the age of 14. He worked in a sawmill before purchasing his own store where he set up a small cafe. Mary talks about her childhood and the role of Buddhism in her family life. Mary talks the discrimination faced by her family when WWII started. After Pearl Harbour, they had to sell the store. Her brother was removed to Angler, ON while the rest of the family were removed to Sandon, BC. Mary talks about education in Sandon where Catholic nuns from Quebec taught. She also talks about the activities children participated in, making jam from berries, and foraging for mushrooms with her mother. After the end of WWII, her family relocated to Hamilton, ON. Mary talks about the discrimination they faced there. Mary also talks about the helpfulness of the Jewish community. She talks about her husband's family experience prior to WWII and their internment in Slocan, BC. Mary talks about her volunteering activities at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC). She talks about Caravan, Bazaar and Issei Day at the JCCC.

Short clip from this interview: https://vimeo.com/440364563

Clip from Japanese Canadian Experience Conference: https://vimeo.com/336912669

Format
Videotape
Video File
Length of Interview
2 hr 3 min
Period
Pre War
Post War
World War II
1930s
1940s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Event
Redress
World War II
Relocation
Forced Removal
Attack on Pearl Harbour
Internment
Location
Vancouver, BC
Fairview, BC
Angler, ON
Sandon, BC
Hamilton, ON
Toronto, ON
Japan
New Denver, BC
Greenwood, BC
Topic
immigration
employment
small business
marriage
children
education
family
community
Buddhism
housing
Japanese language school
social activity
festivals
The Great Depression
transportation
Christianity
baseball
food
Jewish community
volunteer
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC)
social life
Prisoner of War (POW)
sports
recreation
religion
farming
fishing
discrimination
newspaper
Number of Physical Tapes
2
Permission
For uses other than research or private study, researchers must submit a Request for Permission to Publish, Exhibit or Broadcast form.
Citation
Mary Akiko, interview by Lisa Uyeda, September 16, 2011, 2011.259, Sedai: The Japanese Canadian Legacy Project Collection, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.