“By recovering and extending her grandfather’s nearly lost work, Joyce Hirohata not only resurrects a forgotten record of the poignant hopes of the brightest among the first generation of Japanese born in America. She also builds an important bridge from their young faith in American ideals across the terrible betrayal that befell them to the diverse ways they wove their lives back into the social fabric. It is a story that is particularly relevant in the current era's new threats to civil liberties.” Charles Burress, San Francisco Chronicle “A rare book about us—the Nisei—has come to life. I’ve always maintained that it would take a Sansei [third generation] to do justice to the “Nisei story.” Joyce Hirohata has masterfully proven my theory by weaving the sacrifice, joy and hopes from the lives of the valedictorians and salutatorians expressed in the 1930s, when they (and we) were young . . . And then some.” Harry K. Honda, 83 “Nisei Voices makes California history come alive. . . Part 1, “Growing up in Two Worlds,” is engrossing. This new part of the book gives information, with many personal anecdotes, on the lives and personal events of these students to adulthood. . . Part 2, text of the commencement speeches, completes the journey with brief biographies and photos of each student. This book provides unique and very important commentary on a critical period of U.S. and California history. Contrasting the students’ experiences with the hopes and wishes expressed in their commencement speeches leaves one pondering. Susana Hinojosa, Librarian, University of California, Berkeley “ . . . a relatively rare entry point into the words and thoughts of Japanese American students during the period between World Wars . . . [with] genuine glimpses into how Japanese Americans of the 1920s and 1930s were trying to make sense of the times and their place in it.” David K. Yoo, author of Growing Up Nisei “Nisei Voices makes a substantial contribution to the understanding of the Nisei and the struggles they encountered in seeking the education which they believed would enhance their acceptance in the United States.” Florence M. Hongo, Asian American Curriculum Project, Inc. "Reading the thoughts, hopes, and dreams of these students . . . create a fascinating insight into an innocent time in those lives. These “orations and essays” set in a period shortly before WWII, and the excellent research that properly places them in that context, ensure an enjoyable, enlightening read. A recommended addition to your list, particularly if you have parents, grandparents or friends from that generation.” Les Hata and John Handa, Co-Chairs of the San Francisco Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) “The Nisei are unique in American immigration because suddenly they, the younger generation, had to take responsibility for their group in a time of crisis. At a time when the United States Government denied their rights as citizens and yet expected them to make decisions instead of the Issei, they had to find a way to survive in an atmosphere of hate and suspicion. It is in the light of the heavy responsibilities put upon the Nisei by the war that Nisei Voices: Japanese American Students of the 1930s—Then and Now becomes so poignant. We hear the idealism and love of America expressed by these students, the best in their graduating classes, as they give their valedictorian speeches. How naïve they seem to be in retrospect, yet how true they were to the lessons taught them in their public schools, lessons that turned out to be lies a few years later. What makes Nisei Voices even more valuable as a record of this heroic generation is Joyce Hirohata’s efforts to contact the fifty valedictorians. As a result of her labors that stretched across both America and the Pacific, Hirohata was able to add brief biographies to each of the speeches: what happened to the valedictorians after graduation, during the war, and after the war to the present. The first two publications of Nisei Voices edited by her grandfather contained only the speeches. For this third edition Hirohata wrote an extended introduction that tells of the times the Nisei lived through as they expressed it. This gives the context in which the students spoke and shows how the American ideals had been denied them. Since the evacuation was such a terrible injustice, as in the past, so even now, it was very difficult to get the Nisei to relate their experiences. Some did, but others only briefly or they asked not to be quoted. The betrayal by their country still stings. Another reason for their silence is their fierce patriotism. After the internment many had tried to put this disgraceful experience aside, not wanting to pass on to their children a distrust of their country. They were patriots, despite being denied, and they wanted their children to be patriots. Recalling the sacrifices they had made to prove their patriotism, several expressed concern that America had not learned its lesson, that, because of 9/11, America would be treating another whole immigrant group with suspicion as they had been unjustly treated. We need to understand the Nisei from the perspective of their times when even the federal government did not support their rights. Nisei Voices helps us do that. It is also a tribute to the teachers of their schools who allowed these young Japanese Americans to be valedictorians in accordance with their grades despite the prejudice of the time. (In one case, though, the Nisei student’s father had to confront the school officials who were not in favor of having a Nisei valedictorian.) For years I have been teaching Toshio Mori’s Yokohama, California, a collection of twenty-two short pieces that reflect Issei and Nisei life from the twenties to the early forties. I am happy to have Nisei Voices to complement Mori’s stories and give a strong voice to this largely silent but noble and dedicated generation.” David R. Mayer, Professor, Department of British and American Studies, Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan