Ozawa, Alexander (6/24/2021)

Files

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Title

Ozawa, Alexander (6/24/2021)

Description

Alexander Ozawa is a mixed-race Japanese American born and raised in Chicago's Northwest suburbs. His family’s history during World War II includes incarceration at Manzanar, Tule Lake, and Fort Sill. Post-incarceration, while making their way back to the West Coast from the East Coast, the family settled in Chicago after encountering a large and supportive Japanese American community. In this interview, Alexander discusses family members' reluctance to discuss their wartime experiences, his own experiences growing up mixed-race in a predominantly white community, and his motivations for political activism and solidarity work. He reflects upon his "othered" identity, instances of prejudice from his youth, and fond memories of attending the annual Ginza Festival. Finding connections both between and within generations, he expresses an appreciation for community and for his peers.

Date

2021-06-24

Format

video

Interviewer

Ueunten, JJ

Interviewee

Ozawa, Alexander

Alternate Form of Name

Alec

Interview Keyword

Mixed-race
Manzanar
Tule Lake
Fort Sill
Activism
Nikkei Uprising
Towata, Arthur
Family Separation
Death in Camp
Northwest Suburbs
Tenkatsu Restaurant
Intergenerational Trauma

Sort Priority

6800


Citation

“Ozawa, Alexander (6/24/2021),” JASC Legacy Center Digital Collections, accessed March 29, 2024, https://digitalcollections.jasc-chicago.org/omeka/items/show/2412.