A Little-Known Part of JA History

At the Greater L.A. JACL’s monthly meeting on Jan. 13 at Merit Park in Gardena, writer and researcher Martha Nakagawa (center) gave a talk on different Japanese Americans who found themselves in Japan during World War II, including those who had dual citizenship and were drafted into the Japanese Imperial Army; those who were still minors and were pulled from the classroom to help in the defense industry; and those who were in Hiroshima and experienced the atomic bombing in 1945. Nakagawa did oral history interviews of these individuals for Densho. She is pictured with Beverly Toshi Iba (left), who was taken to Japan by her father before the war broke out, and Miyako Kadogawa of GLA JACL, who spoke on Iba’s behalf. (J.K. YAMAMOTO/Rafu Shimpo)