Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese imperial army straggler lived in Guam for 28 years after World War II ended, died on Sept 22, 1997 of heart failure at JR Tokai General Hospital in Nagoya Japan. He was 82 while living in an underground cave in a bamboo grove until Jan 24, 1972, when he was discovered close to Talofofo River by hunters. Fortunately Yokoi, was a tailor’s apprentice before being drafted in 1941, made clothing from the fibers of wild hibiscus plants and survived off of eating coconuts, breadfruit, papayas, snails, eels and rats. He stated: “We Japanese soldiers were told to prefer death to  the disgrace of getting captured alive”. “The only  thing that gave me the strength and will to survive was my faith in  myself and that as a soldier of Japan, it was not a disgrace to continue  on living”.

Astronaut Ellison Onizuka was a Japanese American who grew up in Hawaii and was the first Asian American astronaut to fly into to space. Unfortunately, he was one of the crew members who dies in the 1986 Challenger Explosion.

Also, Donald J. Kutyna he served a combat tour of duty from December 1969 to January 1971 with the 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. There he completed 120 combat missions in the F-105 tactical fighter. He is most famous for his help in several investigations of NASA launch failures, especially his membership on the Rogers Commissions investigating the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger. He was key of NASA’s decision to allow the shuttle to keep flying despite knowledge of the O-ring flaw that led to the explosion.

A key accomplishment for Asian/America was Paull Shinn being the first Korean American ever elected to the Washington State Legislature. He was elected from the 21st Legislative District in Snohomish County. He was born in South Korea and was also orphaned at the age of four and lived on the streets of Seoul begging for food until the start of the Korean war. He was also a sponsor for legislation that enacted observance of Asian Pacific Heritage Month in the United States. Unfortunately, on January 7th of this new year 2014, he resigned after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and now Shinn currently resides in Mukilteo, WA.

Chapter 11
“‘Strangers’ at the Gates Again”

After World War II, Asian Americans started seeing changes in their communities. It started with the plantations in Hawaii when the segregated Asian workers formed labor unions and groups together to strike better and earn better wages. Thank to the contributions of various Asian Americans during World War II, their rights as Americans were beginning to come to light, causing America to become the land of opportunity that their ancestors envisioned years ago. Then the Korean War and Vietnam conflict arose. New Asian immigrants started migrating to America through coercion or fear. These included Vietnamese, Hmong, Cambodians, and more. They were the new “strangers from a different shore”, only residing in America for safety and hoping one day that they will return home, which was not the case for most migrants. Although Asian Americans were getting the rights they justly deserved, it did not come easily. The “threat” of Communism caused many Chinese Americans to be targeted by the government to ensure no Communist spies were on American shores. Even though 99% of them were innocent, it just didn’t seem justified to target mostly Chinese Americans just because China was Communist.

Run Run Shaw-Director of many of Bruce Lee’s film in Hong Kong, founder of Shaw Brothers Studios

William Gibson,writer, notable works include “Burning Chrome”,1982, 1st book in the “Sprawl” trilogy early futurist of the cyberpunk movement.

47 Ronin

-Real vs reel history

Chushingwa

Seppuku/harakiri

Stomach is the source of power in martial arts.

Chapter 10
“The Watershed of World War II”

The chapter talked about the impact of World War II and how it affected the various Asian races throughout the United States. All of the Asian races joined the fervor to wage war against Imperial Japan so they can feel part of America, but were unable to join because of the government’s restrictions at the time. Some Asian Americans felt they needed to be in the fight for reasons other than winning the war for America. For example, the Koreans took this opportunity to get back at the Japanese for the oppression that occurred back in Korea when Imperial Japan took over. Asian Americans even adopted the behavior and ideals of the anti-Japanese sentiment created by the general American populace since most believed it be Americanism, which I thought was disheartening yet understandable at the time. Asian Americans also took this war as a time to get their rights set. Since many could not join because of their ethnicity due to government discrimination, new orders like Executive Order 8802 were put in to effect to allow Asian Americans to enlist into the U.S. military forces. This also worked in favor of America not only because it meant more manpower in the war, but also prevented an “alliance of Asiatics” that Imperial Japan imposed to America as a possible threat.

How does Asian culture influence American pop culture and to extent?

Why is pop culture important?

Instead of Asian-American pop-culture isn’t human culture as a whole?

What are your obsessions?
1.Forensics
2.NASCAR
3.European World War II history
4.Art History
5.Star Trek
6.Dr. Who
7.Music everything except rap
8.Photography -Urban Exploring

Professor Chico thought it would be fun to assign our Asian/American Pop Culture Crosscurrents class to a Scavenger Hunt! You know what?? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!

First on the list…

1986 Challenger-I found out that Ellison Onizuka born June 24th, 1946, was a Japanese/American Astronaut who, unfortunately passed away, Jan. 28th, 1986,  while on mission on board of the spaceship Challenger. The spaceship had disintegrated 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.

“Make your life count – and the world will be a better place because you tried.”-Ellison Onizuka

Second on the list…

Paull [sic] Shin was the first EVER Korean/American elected into  Washington States legislature as a representing Senator. He was born Sept. 27th, 1935; and had to resign due to his Alzheimers.

Third on the list…

First of all…who and what are the WWII Stragglers? World War II did not neatly end with Japan’s surrender on September 2, 1945. At its height the Japanese Empire was more than 20 million square miles of land and sea. Soldiers in isolated regions fought on for years after the surrender some unaware the war had ended, other refusing to believe. Some hide in the jungles alone, others fought in groups and continued to make attacks and conduct guerilla warfare.  These men were called Japanese Holdouts, or Stragglers and their stories are some of the most fascinating human interest stories of the 20th Century. Secondly, why am I giving you this background knowledge?

Well, Hiroo Onoda born March 19, 1922 , was an Imperial Japanese Army Intelligence officer who fought in World War 2 and did not surrender in 1945. In 1974, his former commander traveled from Japan to personally issue orders relieving him from duty. Onoda had spent almost 30 years holding out in the Philippines. He held the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army. Hiroo Onoda passed away January 16, 2014. He was the last of the WW2 stragglers to pass away.

Lastly, on the scavenger hunt list…

HIMYM?? That long cryptic abreviation stands for “How I Met Your Mother“…Whats the Asian/American Connection you ask? Earlier this week, CBS’s long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother—which resumed its ninth season on January 13—ran an episode titled “Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra,” which told the story of how Marshall (Jason Segel) came to learn the art of slapping from three Kung Fu masters, in order to give Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) the most epic slap of his life. What was already a silly episode turned especially sour by the portrayal of these Kung Fu masters, played by show regulars in yellowface (Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan and Cobie Smulders).

The creators of How I Met Your Mother apologized for an episode that depicted Asian characters as stereotypes. But one apology doesn’t solve the bigger issue of Asian portrayals on television.

Whats trending right now? #howimetyourracism

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/15/showbiz/how-i-met-your-mother-controversy/

The story of World War II stragglers may not be widespread or well known. Following the end of the war in the Pacific in August of 1945, many Japanese soldiers refused to believe the defeat of their Emporer and Japan to the Allie forces, or were unaware of the wars end due to loss of communications with their commanders. What is so fascinating about these Japanese soldiers who are not willing or are unaware of Japan’s defeat is the extreme dedication they show in fighting for what they believe in. Even decades after the war was over Japanese World War II stragglers still remained, with the last confirmed stragglers laying down their arms in 1974.

One of the holdouts who finally accepted defeat was a Japanese Intelligence officer named 2nd lieutenant Hiroo Onoda. For 29 years Onoda remained at his post on a Phillipine Island. His faith in believing the Japanese Emperor was a diety and refusal to believe Japan had lost the war kept Onoda at his post, even after finding leaflets that were dropped by plane informing them the war had ended. Onoda and his the three men who served under him took the leaflets as enemy propaganda. In 1974 when a student by the name of Norio Suzuki found him and begged Onoda to return with him to Japan and told him the war was really over Onoda, now alone, still stayed steadfast in believing the war could not be over. Later that year Suzuki returned with Onoda’s brother and his former Commanding officer Major Yoshimi Taniguchi whose final orders to Onoda during the war was to stay and fight until he was relieved, came to relieve Onoda of his duty. Only then did Onoda accept the war was truly over. The most moving point of Onoda’s surrender was when he did finally lay down his weapon, he saluted Major Yoshimi Taniguchi and wept.

Onoda sadly past away on January 16th of this year. However his story of honor, duty, and fighting for what he believed in his heart to be true is undoubtabley moving and has touched many who has had the chance to hear it.