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No Sword To Bury: Japanese Americans In Hawaii
When bombs rained down on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Japanese American college students were among the many young men enrolled in ROTC and called upon to defend the Hawaiian islands against invasion. In a few weeks, however, the military government disarmed them. This book tells the story of the wartime experience of these young men.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
328 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 5, 2016
How do I rate non-fiction??? Is this 4 stars or 5?? DEAR GOD HELP ME I DON'T KNOW.
I highlighted/annotated wayyyyy too many quotes to put here, and besides, it's not the same thing as when I highlight choice passages of beautifully-phrased prose in fiction -- this, on the other hand, was just my private research, and the random facts & information & tales that hit me in the gut, that bowled me over in the subway and made me tear up in public. I'm surprised I managed to power through this in just a week, considering the intense emotions it elicited in me: it was rough and reading more about this is going to be rough, but I think it's important, considering I never had much background in this particular area.
Japanese-Americans during World War II is such a painful subject, and their particular experience in Hawaii so... well, peculiar and interesting: it differed from the mainland experience because they were a racial majority and thus constituted too much of the workforce/economy to intern. Hawaii is an example of how extremely specific circumstances and factors can combine in a microcosm to cause overwhelming change. It's such a gutting mixture of hope, betrayal, and even schisms with the mainland Japanese-Americans considering their differences in language & internment. It's a look at Hawaii, and what it meant to be simultaneously betrayed and attacked by your homeland, then rejected by your chosen country, and then choose to fight for it anyway. Their contributions to the war effort despite overwhelming racism and unconstitutional concentration camps on American soil. Real life is stranger than fiction, sometimes.
I'm probably not describing this chapter of history well. But Odo's book is a detailed look at this particular generation, especially through the lens of personal interviews with several VVV veterans: the book examines Japanese immigration to Hawaii, the conditions of the issei and nisei (first- and second-generation respectively), the issues of acclimatisation and what their upbringing in the 1920s was like, then the devastating events of Pearl Harbor, the experiences of the Hawaiian Territorial Guard and Varsity Victory Volunteers and then the 442nd. The section on the 442nd Infantry Regiment was a little skimpy, but presumably because it seems to have been exhaustively covered in other books (which I am, predictably, going to pick up and then probably cry over). Odo also touches on the Japanese/Asian model minority image, how it was shaped by WWII, and its damaging effects.
This is a very close-to-home subject for me, considering the reason I don't speak Japanese today is because it was so unpopular for my family to learn their own language -- my Hawaiian-born Japanese-American grandmother never taught it to her children.
A gruelling personal read, but a very worthy look into another part of America's grimy past (yet also slightly hopeful, because of those who did not stand idly by, those who tried to help, those who spoke up). I'll be reading more on this subject over time. It probably won't be any less painful, though.
I highlighted/annotated wayyyyy too many quotes to put here, and besides, it's not the same thing as when I highlight choice passages of beautifully-phrased prose in fiction -- this, on the other hand, was just my private research, and the random facts & information & tales that hit me in the gut, that bowled me over in the subway and made me tear up in public. I'm surprised I managed to power through this in just a week, considering the intense emotions it elicited in me: it was rough and reading more about this is going to be rough, but I think it's important, considering I never had much background in this particular area.
Japanese-Americans during World War II is such a painful subject, and their particular experience in Hawaii so... well, peculiar and interesting: it differed from the mainland experience because they were a racial majority and thus constituted too much of the workforce/economy to intern. Hawaii is an example of how extremely specific circumstances and factors can combine in a microcosm to cause overwhelming change. It's such a gutting mixture of hope, betrayal, and even schisms with the mainland Japanese-Americans considering their differences in language & internment. It's a look at Hawaii, and what it meant to be simultaneously betrayed and attacked by your homeland, then rejected by your chosen country, and then choose to fight for it anyway. Their contributions to the war effort despite overwhelming racism and unconstitutional concentration camps on American soil. Real life is stranger than fiction, sometimes.
I'm probably not describing this chapter of history well. But Odo's book is a detailed look at this particular generation, especially through the lens of personal interviews with several VVV veterans: the book examines Japanese immigration to Hawaii, the conditions of the issei and nisei (first- and second-generation respectively), the issues of acclimatisation and what their upbringing in the 1920s was like, then the devastating events of Pearl Harbor, the experiences of the Hawaiian Territorial Guard and Varsity Victory Volunteers and then the 442nd. The section on the 442nd Infantry Regiment was a little skimpy, but presumably because it seems to have been exhaustively covered in other books (which I am, predictably, going to pick up and then probably cry over). Odo also touches on the Japanese/Asian model minority image, how it was shaped by WWII, and its damaging effects.
This is a very close-to-home subject for me, considering the reason I don't speak Japanese today is because it was so unpopular for my family to learn their own language -- my Hawaiian-born Japanese-American grandmother never taught it to her children.
A gruelling personal read, but a very worthy look into another part of America's grimy past (yet also slightly hopeful, because of those who did not stand idly by, those who tried to help, those who spoke up). I'll be reading more on this subject over time. It probably won't be any less painful, though.
The other day I was on a bus. A drunken Caucasian American got on. He immediately accused the driver of being a "Jap." The driver remained silent. Whereupon the other began on a tirade of vile abuse and curses and, without any provocation on the part of the driver, threatened to "knock him clear off his seat." "Well, you're a Jap, aren't you?" he shouted. "Nope." "What are you then?" "Korean." "Korean? You sure?" "Yep." "You sure?" "Yep." "Well, why'en't you say so in the first place?" "Makes no difference." "Would it make a difference if I'da knocked your block off?" Silence. I did not find out whether the driver was really a Korean or whether he was lying to avoid a brawl. It was only small consolation that the Caucasian-American was drunk. Perhaps liquor had only rubbed off restraint and had brought to the surface the true feeling of the American masses. And my answer to such abuse can only be a tightening of the muscles around the jaws.
August 4, 2025
through a case study of japanese men in HI, specifically the men of the VVV, this book delves into the intricacies and intimacies of the racial formations and reformations that occurred during and after WWII in HI. oral histories of the VVV are at the heart of this book, and they function as the foundation of odo's exploration of larger social, cultural, and political forces that created the conditions of anti-japanese racism both in HI and the continental US. i thought the book was well-structured, comprehensive. it felt fair in its depiction of the different trajectories that japanese men took. i know it is focused on the VVV but i do wish there could have been more about women's experiences in this time. something that stood out to me was the conservatism of the honolulu advertiser (vs star bulletin), the haoles and other ethnic groups who rallied to support japanese men at this time, and the way the book maps out their education, from english standard schools or public schools in HI all the way to yale law school for some of them. i just mentioned that the book feels fair in its depiction of the liberal japanese and the more radical ones, but i do also kind of wish a stronger stance was taken...
January 25, 2016
One of the most interesting things about WWII in the U.S. was the way persons of Japanese ancestry were treated almost totally differently in Hawaii and on the West Coast of the mainland. They formed over a third of Hawaii's population, yet they were not subjected to the widespread anti-Japanese propaganda and hatred that the same group suffered on the mainland. They were not moved out in mass to internment camps like those on the West Coast were, yet they were closer to Japan, more subject to attack by Japan, and formed a larger part of the population than those on the West Coast.
Japanese Americans in Hawaii played a major role in the war, and their enthusiasm was, it seems to me, largely due to the way they were generally treated with respect and as a part of the entire community (with exceptions, like there always are.)
The book starts out by talking about conditions in Hawaii before the attack on Pearl Harbor. There were Japanese Americans in the ROTC and the HTG (Hawaiian Territorial Guard). The author points out that one of the reasons for not evacuating the Hawaiian persons of Japanese ancestry was that it would have tied up far too many resources needed for the prosecution of the war.
The author points out that Japanese Americans on the West Coast formed only about one percent of the population, while in Hawaii they formed about a third. The ones in Hawaii played major roles in the war effort, while the numbers involved on the continental U.S. were smaller, probably because they actually weren't given any opportunities to do much of anything from the internment camps until later in the war.
Also, the Japanese American community was older than the one the mainland, and more integrated into the society as a whole. A lot of this was due to the economic control five major companies had over Hawaii at the time and in it's history.
There's a chapter on the history of Japanese immigration. It also goes into the cultural situation at that time.
The second chapter goes into the time of the 1920s. This was a rough time for the Japanese immigrants.
1. 1922 Supreme Court decision in the case of Takao Ozawa. Prevented Japanese immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens.
2. 1922: Cable Act, which revoked U.S. citizenship for any U.S. woman marrying aliens ineligible for naturalization.
3. 454 Hawaiian Issei served in WWI and were naturalized as a reward. Their citizenship was revoked in 1927.
One thing that Hawaiian Japanese did not confront, though, was the alien land laws. Most of the land in Hawaii was already under the control of the five major companies, the territorial government, the federal government, or other corporations. Thus, the immigrants in Hawaii did not have to face all the viciousness behind the anti-alien land laws that the immigrants on the mainland had to deal with.
The public school system in Hawaii had been working to help the Nisei assimilate to both the U.S. and the status quo in Hawaii.
Chapter 3 deals with the 1930s. Another difference in Hawaii seemed to be that a good umber of well-placed non-Japanese people were working to present the best face of the U.S. and its ideals. On the mainland, most of the high-profile people on the West Coast were actively working to drive out the Japanese.
Chapter 4 deals with Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. In Hawaii, the military declared martial law and had a very strict control of much of what went on in Hawaii. There was also a major push to include the Japanese Americans in efforts to help out with the war effort. This helped to make them feel part of a team (sort of), whereas the persons of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast knew that they were not wanted as part of any team. They were just wanted gone.
Chapter 5 deals with the Hawaii Territorial Guard. The issue of Japanese Americans in the military effort was sort of complex and not entirely positive. There was concern, of course, about how the non-Japanese would react to the Japanese. There was a Morale Division established to target the persons of Japanese ancestry.
Chapter 6 is about the Varsity Victory Volunteers, a group of Japanese American men that were attached to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They ended up doing a rather wide variety of jobs, from painting to building field iceboxes to quarrying rocks, and even serving as cooks. One group made intricate models of planes to help plane spotters.
The group was also seen by others in relation to post-war Hawaii. If the group did good and brought honor to the Japanese Americans on the island, then the post-war integration of the society could continue pretty smoothly.
It's interesting to know that the U.S. effort to get Nisei to volunteer for the military (when that was finally allowed) had great success in Hawaii. The goal was 1,500 volunteers from Hawaii, and 3,000 from the mainland internment camps. Some 10,000 volunteered from Hawaii, and only 1,000 from the camps.
It goes to show you that how you treat people can make a major difference
.
Chapter 8 deals with the Nisei in the military, and chapter 9 covers the time after the war was over.
The book spends a lot of time talking about various specific individuals.
Japanese Americans in Hawaii played a major role in the war, and their enthusiasm was, it seems to me, largely due to the way they were generally treated with respect and as a part of the entire community (with exceptions, like there always are.)
The book starts out by talking about conditions in Hawaii before the attack on Pearl Harbor. There were Japanese Americans in the ROTC and the HTG (Hawaiian Territorial Guard). The author points out that one of the reasons for not evacuating the Hawaiian persons of Japanese ancestry was that it would have tied up far too many resources needed for the prosecution of the war.
The author points out that Japanese Americans on the West Coast formed only about one percent of the population, while in Hawaii they formed about a third. The ones in Hawaii played major roles in the war effort, while the numbers involved on the continental U.S. were smaller, probably because they actually weren't given any opportunities to do much of anything from the internment camps until later in the war.
Also, the Japanese American community was older than the one the mainland, and more integrated into the society as a whole. A lot of this was due to the economic control five major companies had over Hawaii at the time and in it's history.
There's a chapter on the history of Japanese immigration. It also goes into the cultural situation at that time.
The second chapter goes into the time of the 1920s. This was a rough time for the Japanese immigrants.
1. 1922 Supreme Court decision in the case of Takao Ozawa. Prevented Japanese immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens.
2. 1922: Cable Act, which revoked U.S. citizenship for any U.S. woman marrying aliens ineligible for naturalization.
3. 454 Hawaiian Issei served in WWI and were naturalized as a reward. Their citizenship was revoked in 1927.
One thing that Hawaiian Japanese did not confront, though, was the alien land laws. Most of the land in Hawaii was already under the control of the five major companies, the territorial government, the federal government, or other corporations. Thus, the immigrants in Hawaii did not have to face all the viciousness behind the anti-alien land laws that the immigrants on the mainland had to deal with.
The public school system in Hawaii had been working to help the Nisei assimilate to both the U.S. and the status quo in Hawaii.
Chapter 3 deals with the 1930s. Another difference in Hawaii seemed to be that a good umber of well-placed non-Japanese people were working to present the best face of the U.S. and its ideals. On the mainland, most of the high-profile people on the West Coast were actively working to drive out the Japanese.
Chapter 4 deals with Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. In Hawaii, the military declared martial law and had a very strict control of much of what went on in Hawaii. There was also a major push to include the Japanese Americans in efforts to help out with the war effort. This helped to make them feel part of a team (sort of), whereas the persons of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast knew that they were not wanted as part of any team. They were just wanted gone.
Chapter 5 deals with the Hawaii Territorial Guard. The issue of Japanese Americans in the military effort was sort of complex and not entirely positive. There was concern, of course, about how the non-Japanese would react to the Japanese. There was a Morale Division established to target the persons of Japanese ancestry.
Chapter 6 is about the Varsity Victory Volunteers, a group of Japanese American men that were attached to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They ended up doing a rather wide variety of jobs, from painting to building field iceboxes to quarrying rocks, and even serving as cooks. One group made intricate models of planes to help plane spotters.
The group was also seen by others in relation to post-war Hawaii. If the group did good and brought honor to the Japanese Americans on the island, then the post-war integration of the society could continue pretty smoothly.
It's interesting to know that the U.S. effort to get Nisei to volunteer for the military (when that was finally allowed) had great success in Hawaii. The goal was 1,500 volunteers from Hawaii, and 3,000 from the mainland internment camps. Some 10,000 volunteered from Hawaii, and only 1,000 from the camps.
It goes to show you that how you treat people can make a major difference
.
Chapter 8 deals with the Nisei in the military, and chapter 9 covers the time after the war was over.
The book spends a lot of time talking about various specific individuals.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews