Research Symposium

BIO

Sarah Brophy is a sophomore at Florida State University majoring in History and Political Science from Weston, Florida. Along with her research, she is currently interning in the Florida House of Representatives in the Minority Office. When she isn't studying or interning, she enjoys playing guitar. She hopes to join the US State Department as a diplomat after she graduates.

The Shogun's Grand Niece

Abstract

The Shogun’s Grand Niece aims to capture the intricacies of a Japanese immigrant family living between two identities in the United States during the early-to-mid twentieth century. The family’s former status as rural samurai is taken into account when their only daughter is courted by a Japanese nobleman overseas right before WWII. This research focuses on the historical background and geographical setting of the family to better understand the elements and obstacles they faced. Ultimately, a Japanese family that gains prominence in Los Angeles is at the mercy of tense relationships and war between Japan and the United States while also grappling with the daily challenges for Japanese immigrants making the US their home. The presentation starts in 1920s Los Angeles and follows leftist, progressive activities in the area and the larger Japanese community, and the family’s possible intersection with it. It examines the successful business of Japanese produce distributors and the devastation of relocation to internment camps after the Pearl Harbor Attacks. The family, who owned a lucrative produce business, was stripped of assets and their patriarch was sent to Ft. Missoula for internment. Eventually, the couple’s daughter chose to live in relative obscurity in a predominantly white, right-leaning rural Oregon town, where she recently decided to share her story. Government documents, journals, news sources, and books revealed that the success and distinct culture of the Japanese-American community were the main causes behind the vitriolic societal and governmental response to the Pearl Harbor Attacks.

Keywords: history, japan, politics