William Wei - Asians in Colorado: A History of Persecution and Perseverance in the Centennial State

WILLIAM WEI

Asians in Colorado is published with the assistance of grants from the Scott and Laurie Oki Endowed Fund for Publications in Asian American Studies and from the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University.

2016 by the University of Washington Press

Printed and bound in the United States of America

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Names: Wei, William, 1948 author.

Title: Asians in Colorado : a history of persecution and perseverance in the Centennial State / William Wei.

Description: Seattle : University of Washington Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015041094 | ISBN 9780295995434 (hardcover : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Asian AmericansColoradoHistory. | ColoradoRace relationsHistory. | ColoradoHistory.

Classification: LCC f785.a75 W45 2016 | DDC 305.8009788dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015041094

The paper used in this publication is acid-free and meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.481984.

Du Fu

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HISTORIANS KNOW THAT THEIR RESEARCH RESTS ON THE WORK of a legion of librarians, archivists, and specialists who collect, organize, and make accessible the information and materials that are the foundation of their work. These individuals are the unsung heroes of the scholarly community. Among the many such experts who have assisted with this book, I am pleased to acknowledge the following and their affiliated institutions, in alphabetical order: Auraria Library Special Collections and Digital Initiatives: Matthew C. Mariner; Colorado State Archives: Kevin Luy; Colorado State Demography Office: Barbara Musick; Densh, Japanese American Legacy Project: Caitlin Oiye; Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Collection: Coi Drummond-Gehrig and Abby Haverstock; Denver Regional Census Office: Kimberly Ann Davis; Fallen Heroes Project: Eric Herzberg; History Colorado (formerly Colorado Historical Society), Stephen H. Hart Library and Research Center: Patrick J. Fraker, Megan K. Friedel, Sarah Gilmore, and Melissa VanOtterloo; Japanese American National Museum: Lauren Zuchowski; National Archives and Records Administration: Eric Bittner and Cody White; Pueblo City-County Library District: Maria Tucker; University of California at San Diego: Lynda Claassen; University of Colorado at Boulder, Norlin Library: Susan Guinn-Chipman, Erika Kleinova, and Leanne Walther; and US Census Bureau: Stephen Baugh. In addition, I wish to express my appreciation to the anonymous volunteers who compiled indices of information about Asian Americans in Colorado for both the Colorado Historical Society and the Denver Public Library, continuing a Civil Works Administration project begun in 1933.

In the course of writing this book, I also received assistance from the following individuals: Frank Abe, filmmaker, who provided me with photographs of Jimmie Omura; Roger Baker, Blackhawk historian, who sent me excerpts from Central City newspaper articles related to Chinese Coloradans; Tom Dickinson, University of Colorado, Institute of Behavior Science, who produced the Colorado maps in the book; Steven Grinstead, managing editor at History Colorado, who provided me with the photographs that accompanied my articles in Colorado Heritage; Christian Heimburger, who sent me a copy of his doctoral dissertation; Jennifer A. Kuehner, executive director of the Aurora History Museum, for the tour of the exhibit An Epic Journey: Auroras Asian/Pacific Communities; Carolyn G. Kuhn, who provided me with pictures of her uncles Edward and William Chin; Reverend Kanya Okamoto, Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple, who shared his knowledge about Denvers Japanese Americans; Luke Meagher, Wofford College Library, who provided me with the picture of the Shitara sisters; Joe Wismann-Horther, coordinator of the Integration Partnerships, Colorado Refugee Services, CDHS, who talked to me about recent refugees to Colorado; and Holly Yasui, who provided me with pictures of her father, Min Yasui.

Portions of this book are based on my previously published articles: is an expansion of Asian Americans, in Encyclopedia of Military Science, ed. G. Kurt Piehler (New York: Sage, 2013), 1:181186.

I want to take this opportunity to express my thanks to Professor Linda Tamura, Willamette University, and Professor Liping Zhu, Eastern Washington University, for serving as external reviewers of the manuscript for the University of Washington Press. They provided constructive comments and detailed suggestions, which improved the work considerably. In addition, they gave me sound advice on how to shorten a text that was too long by half.

I also want to convey my appreciation to the University of Washington Press staff, especially Jacqueline Volin, editing, design, and production manager, and Emily Park, copy editor, for their fine work.

I am indebted to two individuals. The first is Ranjit Arab, the dedicated acquisitions editor at the University of Washington Press. During the Western History Association meeting in Denver in 2012, Ranjit invited me for coffee to talk about my recent research. He listened patiently as I described my work and interest in local history, and the need for historical monographs on Asian Americans in the Interior West. Ranjit encouraged me to submit a prospectus to the University of Washington Press. Afterward, he expertly shepherded the book through the acquisitions process, providing encouragement and feedback.

Last but not least, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to Susan Cherniack Wei, PhD, my loving wife and best friend. She has always been there for me. At no time was this truer than during the writing of this book. Much to my delight, in the course of my research, Susan developed in keen interest in the history of Asians in Colorado even though her own field is Chinese literature. She understood what I was trying to say better than anyone else. Besides providing unwavering moral support, she served as a researcher and editor, making the completion of this work possible.