Hey Bloggers,
This week’s blog post will be focusing on our fascinating visit to the Rare Books and Special Collections archives last Thursday. There, we were able to get our hands on Joy Kogawa’s personal archives. Joy Kogawa, author of the Obasan, was a residence of British Columbia and was kind enough to donate her records and documents to our university. It was really neat to experience because most library sources are generally secondary sources, duplicated and available in other locations, whereas Kogawa’s archives are only available at UBC! This is an opportunity that not many other people would have a chance to witness and experience.
In total there are 156 boxes in the Joy Kogawa Collection. Included in these boxes are initial paper drafts of Obasan, letters to editors and publishers, old newspaper clippings and other historical documents Kogawa used for research. What I found most interesting, however, were the letters from readers of Obasan to Kogawa. The content of these letters varied, but most interesting were the speculations about Canada’s actions and role during this time period.
In his letter to Joy Kogawa, David Holdaway says, “Whether Aunt Emily was correct that Japanese Canadians were discriminated against worse than Japanese Americans… the fact remains: fear drove otherwise rational governments to irrational acts.” Holdaway criticizes the actions Canada took against its citizens of Japanese descent. He later tells Kogawa, “Though I was not even alive then, nor a citizen of Canada, I nonetheless feel responsible for what happened.” Apologizing profusely, he attempts to express to Kogawa how deeply ashamed he is for Canada’s action (or lack thereof) towards reinstating Japanese Canadian’s citizenship standing.
Others, like Featie Vernie [approximation of handwriting–hard to distinguish] felt conflicted, and disbelieving. In her letter to Joy Kogawa, she says, “Like many (most?) Canadians, the events you speak of are not “news” to me; I always “knew” about them from history books and such. But, really, I had no idea of the degradation, the despair, and, above all, the injustice!” We also discussed this briefly in our ASTU class. It is one thing to read about these events in a textbook, which is much more objective and impersonal in its reporting of events compared to other technologies of memory, such as Obasan. As Muriel Ford says in her letter so eloquently, “Facts can be buried: a literary gem containing those facts cannot.” This speaks to how Obasan, although a work of fiction, also functions as a semi-autobiography, effectively depicting actual events that transpired in a fictitious work.
Vernie later speculates: “…it is difficult to imagine [these events] happening in Canada, my Canada—or is it?” She then goes on to recall how in her hometown in Manitoba, “Canadian “Indians”” were subject to certain “attitudes”. Canada, often viewed as a welcoming nation, a “melting pot” of cultures and peoples, has had a history of racism and discrimination. This is indisputable.
The fonds were fascinating to witness, especially after reading Obasan for our ASTU class. It really made me appreciate the work all the more, having these tangible records accessible to me.
Before I leave you, Readers, I have a question for you: Do you think that Obasan was more effective in expressing the horrors of the time through a fictional novel loosely based on actual events, or would you argue that a nonfiction novel is more irrefutable and a better representation?
-Kendall Manifould
Works Cited:
Ford, Muriel. Letter from Muriel Ford to Joy Kogawa. 27 Jan. 1983. Box 13 File 4. Joy Kogawa fonds. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.
Holdaway, David. Letter from David Holdaway to Joy Kogawa. 14 Mar. 1983. Box 13 File 4. Joy Kogawa fonds. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.
Vernie, Featie. Letter from Featie Vernie to Joy Kogawa. 15 May 1983. Box 13 File 4. Joy Kogawa fonds. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada.