1. Japanese Internment 1941, December 7--the bombing of Pearl Harbor
1942--evacuation of Canadian Japanese (Nikkei) from the Pacific Coast--the great mass movement in the history of Canada (Obasan 92-93)--21,000 people moved
1949--Nikkei allowed to return to B.C.
1980s--redress movement
1988--formal apology to Nikkei+ $21,000 (Cdn.) to the survivors
differences from the relocation of Japanese Americans--dispersal of family members--men sent to road camps in the interior of B.C., sugar beet projects on the Prairies, POW camp in Ontario

2. Joy Kogawa--Biographical Sketch
born in Vancouver, B.C. in 1935
relocated to Slocan and Coaldale, Alberta during and after WWII
Selected Publications:
Obasan
Woman in the Woods
Naomi's Road
Itsuka
The Rain Ascends

3. Awards for Obasan Books in Canada, First Novel Award.
Canadian Authors Association, Book of the Year Award.
Periodical Distributors of Canada, Best Paperback Fiction Award.
Before Columbus Foundation, The American Book Award.

4. Obasan--Family Trees Grandma Nakane Grandpa Nakane Kato Ayako (Obasan)
1891-
Isamu
(Sam)
Father
(Mark)
Mother
Emily
1916-
Stephen
1933-
Naomi
1936-
stillborn

5. Timeline 1893--Grandpa Nakane arrived in Canada
1941--Mother returned to Japan
1942--Vancouver Hastings Park prison
1945--the bombing of Nagasaki
1951--moved to Granton
1954--the first visit to the coulee
1972--narrative present--Uncle’s death

6. Imagery of Stone What is the significance of the stone imagery?
The bible--“a white stone”--”a new name written”
epigraph--“The word is stone.”
Uncle’s stone bread (15-16)
Discuss other imagery in the novel (ex) the coulee/ the ocean/ uncle and Chief Sitting Bull/ the family as a knit blanket (24-25)

7. Gender and National Identities
How does Naomi describe herself and the two aunts and why?
Naomi--sansei--spinster, tense (9), numb (41)
Obasan--issei--ancient(14, 18-19), language of grief--silence (17)
Emily--nisei-- energetic, visionary (38), “word warrior” (39), “white blood cells” (41)/ Canadian identity--“This is my own, my native land”
Mother--kibei--born in Canada, raised in Japan-- “yasashi kokro” (56)

8. Language and Silence
“To the issei, honor and dignity is expressed through silence, the twig bending with the wind….The sansei view silence as a dangerous kind of cooperation with the enemy.” Joy Kagawa in an interview with Susan Yim

9. Memories Imagery of memories A yellow wallet-sized ID card (29)
spider web (29-31)
Naomi’s first dream (33-35)
the parcel--like the stone bread (37)/ B.Good letter (44-45)/ Emily’s manuscript--“The Story of the Nisei in Canada” /newspaper clippings/ the two letters in Japanese
the leftovers (54)
To remember or not to?