One dark night, Teijiro used rope tying his ship to pier to secretly landed on Seattle. Japanese people living there helped him to hide, fed him, even gave local clothes to him so that he did not stand out and caught by immigration.He succeeded in settling down in California. I always thought that Japanese living here in States do not help new Japanese residents. They always to sell expensive Japanese stuff to newer people and force sightseers to buy in their souvenir shops. But, those days Japanese Americans helped their followers to settle. This part was almost like reading suspense book "Master of the Game".
Picture: Another Japan in San Francisco
Another thing is about illegal immigration. Though I have no intention to promote illegal immigration, but I heard about this Japanese woman who came to US with sightseeing visa base and never went back to Japan. She wrote she could do it if she gave up to go back to Japan. So, there are those kind of people even today, even from Japan. I do not know her in person, for your reference.Teijiro worked in a plantation owned by a Japanese American and married with Japanese woman who his mother in Japan recommended. In this book, his daughter, Fujie, explains that Teijiro's wife, Fujie's mother, needed to marry with another Japanese immigrant who could legally go back to Japan, bring her US legally, divorced this person, and finally married Teijiro. How complicated! I thought it sounded like watching the movie "Green Card".
Teijiro and his wife worked hard. They could get their own house in San Mateo. They had 3 daughters including Fujie, the youngest. Then the war broke out.
Related posts:
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-poem-of-san-mateo-5.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-poem-of-san-mateo-4.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-poem-of-san-mateo-3.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-poem-of-san-mateo-2.html
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-poem-of-san-mateo-1.html
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Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link
4 comments:
Hi Shaw .. I do think people pull together to help each other in times of difficulty .. and even though it wasn't long ago - life wasn't easy anywhere.
Interesting story about his marriage - at least he found someone to love ..
Thanks Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters
Hello Shaw,
What an interesting story. Quite different way for him to get married. Waiting to read more.
Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"
Hi Hilary,
It was interesting to read about Teijiro's marriage. It is partially like Japanese since he married with a woman who were recommended by his mother. But, Marry - Divorce - Marry does not sound like Japanese. You are right about the fact that they were loving each other until the end.
Thank you for your comment.
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link
Dan & Deanna,
It was different that time. But if illegal immigration, things even today may be tough as this story. I have heard about people who entered into US with no visa and kept staying. At the same time, I am hearing the story of immigrants who married with an American citizen who died, and facing deportation. Things are funny still yet.
Thank you for your comment.
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link
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