Topaz Oral History Project research files: Published articles (1920s-1980s)

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2 lth ugh it my seem too large a leap forward right now to accept Ohashi's vie , I belie e th t popul r opinion will come to favor it in time, just as water ·11 gra u lly arrive at its proper level. I believe that current practices of Jap nese 1 ngu ge due tion reflect wh t pleases the Issei* parents rather than h t might be of greater benefit to their Nisei children in the long run. These practices will eventually shackle the Nisei, restricting them to the role of social outcasts in this country. Of course, for those who want to go to Japan eventually or for Nisei who will be oing business in Japan, learning the Japanese language may be essential. Ho ever, in order for the Japanese citizens of the United States to make real contributions to the growth and development of their people here, knowing the Japanese language is not indispensable, living as they are among Americans of other races. Mr. Taketomi, a former consul general in San Francisco, who had a long-standing interest in this matter, suggested that it would be well for Japanese language study to be undertaken as the need or desire for it as expressed by Nisei themselves. I hasten to add, however, that Mr. Taketomi did not exactly say this straight out, but as befits a diplomat, only offered it as suggestion, to which I wholeheartedly concurred. (7/29/28) II Although the conclusion to the speech rendered by Vice-Consul Shibata at the Northern California Japanese Language Schools Association in San Jose last year seemed anticlimatic,the portion which dealt with education of the Nisei was quite *Translator's note: The author refers to the first generation Japanese living in the U.S. (Japan born) as Dai-Issei. After about 1920, however, Issei became the more commonly used term to denote this group of immigrants. The latter term is used hereinafter in this translation.