Dad was given the name Yoneto. He never had a middle name. In Japanese tradition there is only a first and last name. The name Yoneto had a special meaning and was chosen by his parents, Suyetaro Nakata and Riye Dehari from Hiroshima, Japan. Yone (米) in kanji refers to a grain of rice or an abbreviation for America, whereas to (戸), the other part of his kanji name, suggests a doorway or entrance. The actual meaning of the name Yoneto is a doorway or entrance to America. Yoneto, who was born in Sanger, California, became the first American citizen in the Nakata family. This was a happy moment for the whole family. Their last name Nakata is quite common and translates into numerous rice paddies in Japan.
The Nakata family were day laborers on a farm in Sanger and saved enough revenue to buy their own farm in Hiroshima. They worked extremely hard, which took a toll on their lives. His mother died first, later followed by his father. Yoneto did not want to be a farmer or live in Hiroshima. Together, Yoneto with his two cousins, Minoru and Maso, formed a plan to return home to America, their birthplace. Ironically, Yoneto accepted a job as a laborer at a Japanese flower farm in Gardena. He truly believed that his success in America was due to his Japanese name, his Japanese face and his experience on a farm.
Since Yoneto was an American citizen, he was drafted into the United States Army before the war. World War II broke out on December 7 of 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Mass hysteria began to grow throughout the United States. All Japanese including the immigrants (Issei) and their descendants (Nisei) were in fear for their lives. The final betrayal came from the President of the United States, when Roosevelt ordered all Japanese, including those who were American born citizens, to be imprisoned in Relocation Camps in the Western and Southern States.
Yoneto proved his loyalty by volunteering for the MIS (Military Intelligence Service) while his cousins were interned in the Relocation Camp at Jerome, Arkansas. In fact, the MIS helped shorten WWII by two years. Yoneto had a big advantage over other soldiers to be an ideal Japanese interpreter. He was Japanese, educated in Japan and already established in the U.S. Army. However, it also gave him a large target on his back. He had a Caucasian soldier as his bodyguard to protect him from his own men in the Army. He had to develop great strength and courage in living out his daily life during the war.
At that time, most of the WWII Nisei soldiers either chose, adopted or were given American names during the war. Dad decided to pick his own American name that would have a special meaning to him just like his parents picked out his Japanese name. He did research and found the name “James” in the English Dictionary. In Hebrew, “James” depicted a person who was in control of his actions by showing strength, leadership and faith. Yoneto began writing “James” in his English/Japanese dictionary, his address book and on letters or postcards. A new American name was finally born. His full name was “James” Yoneto Nakata.
In the Relocation Camps, more Japanese families accepted American names to show their loyalty to the red, white, and blue. Visiting his cousins and friends in the Jerome Relocation Camp, Yoneto saw American flags displayed inside and outside their wooden barrack. He even noticed the Christian Bibles and many English books on their shelves. He heard the running of young Japanese men playing American baseball on the field and the music of Benny Goodman or Glenn Miller Band coming from their phonograph players in the background. Sadly, he did not hear any chattering of Japanese conversation or the chanting of the Buddhist sutras. He was amazed not to see any display of Japanese artifacts for special occasions or holidays.
The war ended in 1945 with a victory for the Americans. Yoneto was honorably discharged and became a civilian. He was employed with the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers. He helped transition Japanese soldiers and families living in other foreign countries to return home. This was when he met my mom Yaeko in Tokyo, Japan.
Two years later, they married and started a family with the birth of their first daughter. I was born in Asakusa on January 1 of 1948. My name would be Mary Mieko Nakata. I became the first in my family to legally have an American first name with a Japanese middle name. There was a great celebration for my birth, our special Japanese holiday Oshogatsu, and a new beginning for them. My parents set sail for California for a better life. I stayed in Japan with my grandparents.
Unexpectedly, Dad passed away at 29, leaving behind his 21-year-old wife and his only daughter of six months in Japan. Dad died on May 28 of 1948 with a full military funeral at Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights, California. Dad had lived a full life in such a short time. He was drafted into the U.S. Army before the war, volunteered for the MIS to prove his loyalty to his country, started his own family with a new daughter and returned home to America for a better life. He always showed his love for both family and country.
I felt loneliness without Dad. He missed so many events in my life: my graduation, my wedding and the birth of my first son. Though I did not know my dad, my love for him grew into a deep devotion and compassion. I wanted to honor him.
Dad never had a chance to legally adopt “James” as his American name. I decided to call my first-born son “James” after his grandfather. My son’s full name would be James Shizuto Sunada. “James” was a name that Dad chose for himself. A name he honored and is now passed onto my son. The memory of his grandfather and my dad will continue for the next generation. Dad will never be forgotten as a hero or as a father. The name “James” was reborn.
© 2024 Mary Sunada
Nima-kai Favorites
Do you like this story? Give it a star! The stories with the most stars will be professionally translated into our other site languages!
5 Stars
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook