Book Review: The Hood River Issei – by Linda Tamura

This is an excellent read which details nearly a hundred years of Japanese American history based on interviews, research and family follow-up on some of the original Japanese immigrant families to the Hood River Valley of Oregon in the late 1800′ up through 1920 and following them into the present.

The Hood River Issei: An Oral History of Japanese Settlers in Oregon’s Hood River Valley (Asian American Experience)

Linda Tamura

Richard Jr.‘s review

Mar 29, 2026  ·  edit

really liked it

bookshelves: american-history, history, human-interest

Last read March 29, 2026.

Author Linda Tamura has done a fabulous job of interviewing the surviving original Japanese immigrants to Hood River, Oregon in the late 1800’s up through 1920. In addition, her extensive research into the living conditions, cultural integration into American society and the amount of racism they faced, opens up a period of history in this small Oregon county that many would prefer had remained buried as it exposes some of America’s European cultural heritage that from time to time has dogged a country which supposedly welcomes all, is a melting pot, and has built it’s wealth and power through the inclusion of many different races, creeds and cultures.
Beginning with the actual immigration, she exposes the hardships endured by men and women as they immigrated to America, often singly, as hopeful brides, railway workers, farmers, businessmen and a few families. Often leaving Japan due to hardships in that country, and the need to send money home to help the strong family ties often requiring them to scrimp on their living in America to keep these ties strong.
Stages in each of some 12 family’s life stories both before and after their arrival in the States are described beautifully to give us a window into schooling of children, the role of women, religious life, and early adjustments to this strange new world they have entered and the grueling labor required just to survive.
Later chapters describe how the families grew, how they handled trying times in the integration period which covers over forty years. At this point, the theme changes to discuss and tell the stories of the loyal Japanese families who, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan in 1941, were completely ostracized both locally and by the US Government which regarded them as possible security risks and thus relocated thousands of US citizens of Japanese descent to internment camps where they were housed and imprisoned for years. The Bravery and commitment to the US cause in the War by these interned families and their sons who were often in the Military as combat soldiers and translators is explained as they weathered the years of war as loyal Americans, only to be faced with intense discrimination by their communities including Hood River when the war ended and they returned, as heroes, but treated as if they were trash.
The ending of the book deals with the eventual compensation of many of the Japanese families for their losses due to their internment and loss of farms, businesses and homes; their strong family ties which were supported by the Methodist Episcopal churches and their success in the Hood River Valley, eventually leading to them becoming fully integrated and leaders in the community as well as bearers of the history of oppression which has helped mold modern Oregon in many ways to help modern Oregonians understand and accept their own complicity in the tragedies described as well as to make commitments that this should not have happened as it did, and must never happen again. A fascinating story, well told by Professor Linda Tamura.