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Nakagawa, Dave (audio interview #1 of 2)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - One relatively short interview was conducted in 1975 for a project in an Asian American Studies class. There is very little biographical information in this first, short interview, and the audio quality of the interview is poor. TOPICS - the relationship between Terminal Islanders and Japanese from other communities; social life of youth; school experiences; jobs after military service;experiences as youth worker; description of Terminal Island at time of interview; 11/15/1975
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- 2020-03-24
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- *** File: tidnakagawa1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-4:23)... Teachers on Terminal Island were very understanding. When he was a senior in high school the girls on the island did not appeal to him. He thought the glamour girls were in Los Angeles. Once when dating a girl, the time came to meet her parents. They did not approve of him being the son of a fishermen. There was a lot of prejudice in terms of class distinctions with the Japanese in Los Angeles. Terminal Island men had a bad reputation. Boys and girls on the Island did not socialize; it was very innocent and traditional. He didn't have much time for girls. (4:23-6:21)... He was the captain of the varsity football team in high school. When he went to a high school reunion in the early 1970s, the women expressed their sadness that he never asked them out on dates. He told them that he was too shy at the time. He discusses some of the occupations his classmates entered. (6:21-10:37)... He left the island to go to college. He discusses the relationship between students and "Caucasian" teachers. They were taught to respect the teachers and that the Sensei (teachers) were the ultimate authorities. He remembers both impatient teachers and others who were sympathetic. It was an adjustment for the teachers as well, working with all Asian students. (10:37-13:44)... Most Japanese students were highly competitive. He was not much of a student. His brother, with whom his mother often compared him, was very sharp and always got the highest grades. Some teachers were really understanding and wanted to help him. In elementary school he didn't experience any racism. He and a mischievous friend would always have to stand in the corner for misbehaving. He always had a good feeling for his teachers. The principal of the school had a genuine concern for the welfare of the Terminal Island people. (13:44-17:55)... Because all the students were Japanese in the classroom there was a feeling of community. He took the ferry to go to Junior High in San Pedro. They looked forward to Junior High because they had otherwise been confined to the Island. Everything was within walking distance on the island; no one had cars. He walked to the school, while wealthier families paid for their children to ride the bus. Going to school off the Island and interacting with other minorities was an entirely new experience; he made friends with Slovenians and Caucasians. Being introduced to San Pedro was a shock and somewhat scary. The Japanese students excelled in sports. (17:55-21:14)... He relates a story about being invited to the home of a friend, where he encountered a knife and fork for the first time. He didn't know how to use them. He learned about some of the subtle differences in culture, such as proper usage of utensils and manners. Terminal Islanders kept most Japanese practices. (21:14-29:27)... When he finished his tour of duty in the army people were just returning to California from the camps. His first job was at the YMCA as a secretary. He lived in Los Angeles. There was a tall building where young people would gather and loiter and his job was to start a club for these boys. He had no experience, but got them involved in basketball. Japanese clubs joined the YMCA league, where they played competitive basketball. He recalls one experience at the end of the season, when there was a dinner and dance for the boys. They were to ask for a date, but the boys didn't know how to ask girls out., so he decided to arrange dates for them. He called a friend who was working with a girls' group and they paired them up. The boys did not know how to interact socially. He finally forced them to pair up and interact. When the time came to dance the boys didn't ask the girls to the floor - finally after more than an hour one boy asked a girl to dance. end of tape *** File: tidnakagawa2.mp3 (0:00-2:58)... He noticed that the YMCA catered to the middle class and upper class boys. The Boy's Club of America tried to cater to all boys, regardless of class, and was very community minded, a philosophy he preferred. He realized that some boys couldn't afford the membership fee at the YMCA. The Boy's club's fee was much lower so more boys could afford it. (2:58-6:22)... The Boy's Club was able to charge lower fees because of an endowment system that was put into place. One of the executives set up this system; he would tap into the funds of the older rich people of Pasadena. The Club is supported by the United Way and has a well built financial structure. He majored in physical education and minored in sociology. The executive at the Boy's Club made him a job offer while he was still working at the YMCA. He felt sensitive to the needs of those who were down and out. (6:22-9:04)... It was unusual for an Asian to take over a club in an all white, conservative community. There was a lot of competition for the job. He started as a program director and later applied for the position of director. There weren't too many Asians in recreation and social work. He was comfortable with his staff. (9:04-11:01)... He talks about his family's background. He believes that life experiences and leadership are key. Leadership is very important and he must be in tune with the boys that participate in the club. The type of community he experienced on Terminal Island doesn't exist anymore. He is very nostalgic about Terminal Island and often thinks about the great times he had there. (11:01-14:54)... The canneries have since expanded into the land where their homes were once located; the American Can Company. On a recent visit he recognized the old Baptist compound; it is now a chemistry lab. He found it difficult to visualize where buildings were once located. end of tape
- SUBJECT BIO - Dave Nakagawa spent his youth on Terminal Island until he left for college. His father was the first fisherman to have a tuna clipper built, and let his teen-aged son work on the boat during the summer months. As a result, he gained a knowledge of the fishing practices of the Issei fishermen. Nakagawa was greatly influenced by the Baptist missionaries who ran a church school for the Japanese children, where Japanese language was also taught. He was a star athlete when he attended San Pedro High School. In 1941, when his father was picked up by the FBI, along with all the other Issei fisherman, he was already attending college in Los Angeles. He was in camp with his family for only a short time and left to go to college in the Midwest. After the war, he became a youth worker in Pasadena, and continued in this work until his retirement. The first, very short interview with Nakagawa, conducted by Franklin Odo and his students includes few details about his background and life on Terminal Island. A second, more comprehensive interview was conducted some twenty six years after the initial 1970s one, following a meeting with Nakagawa to look at his Terminal Island photographs. INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - One relatively short interview was conducted in 1975 for a project in an Asian American Studies class. There is very little biographical information in this first, short interview, and the audio quality of the interview is poor. TOPICS - the relationship between Terminal Islanders and Japanese from other communities; social life of youth; school experiences; jobs after military service;experiences as youth worker; description of Terminal Island at time of interview;
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2067880240125458-tidnakagawa2.mp3 Public
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