Asian American Military History Japanese American Service and Loyalty 1941 to 1943 Archive of Newspaper and Photographs

Japanese-American Review

Photograph

Japanese American Review and related materials, 1941 to 1943, document the articulation of Japanese American loyalty and military service immediately before and during World War II and provide direct evidence of how Nisei identity was publicly framed at a moment of escalating suspicion and eventual mass incarceration under federal policy. Issued just three months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the September 6, 1941 issue of The Japanese American Review records contemporary debates over citizenship, military service, and belonging, while the accompanying photographs extend this record into wartime representation and family testimony. Together, these materials support research into Asian American history, wartime civil liberties, military service, and the public negotiation of identity in the face of exclusion and surveillance.

Archive of three items: one issue of The Japanese American Review, a hand colored photographic portrait, and a press photograph, dated between 1941 and 1943. The Japanese American Review. Los Angeles, September 6, 1941. Eight page newspaper measuring approximately 17.5 x 11 inches. Front page article titled “Japanese American Soldier is Killed in Mimic War Learning to Defend U.S.” reports on Private Tommy Kazaki, noting that “Before Tommy died, near Aberdeen, Wash., he had evidenced his Americanism still further, at a time when threats of war rang between the United States and Japan.” An accompanying editorial emphasizes national identity, stating, “Tommy Kazaki of Gardena always insisted he was an American and he hardly ever thought of the fact that his race was Japanese,” while additional coverage defends Japanese American communities, describing them as “industrious, thrifty and law abiding.” Hand colored portrait of a Japanese American U.S. Navy sailor in full uniform, approximately 9.5 x 7.75 inches, reflecting commemorative practices among Nisei families. Silver gelatin press photograph, approximately 8.75 x 7 inches, with verso caption dated March 18, 1943, quoting James S. Kondo, a World War I veteran, stating of his son’s enlistment, “I am so proud of my son. We must all fight for our privileges as Americans!”

Created across the transition from prewar uncertainty to active wartime mobilization, these materials document how Japanese American military service was mobilized as evidence of loyalty even as federal policy moved toward exclusion and incarceration. The newspaper’s editorials and reporting reveal efforts within Japanese American and mainstream press to assert citizenship and belonging, while the photographs provide visual affirmation of participation in the U.S. armed forces and the role of family networks in supporting enlistment. The juxtaposition of these items underscores the tension between demonstrated patriotism and the broader context of discrimination and removal, preserving a contemporaneous record of identity formation and public discourse at a critical moment in American history. Light wear and minor handling marks, with strong image clarity and complete newspaper; overall condition very good.

Item #21412

Price: $750.00