The Role of Nisei (Second-Generation Japanese American) Linguists during World War II and the Allied Occupation of Japan

武田珂代子(Kayoko Takeda)

Nisei linguists ； WWII ； post-war occupation of Japan ； military intelligence

翻譯學研究集刊

17輯（2014 / 06 / 01）

161 - 174

英文

This paper describes the crucial and complex role of Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) linguists (translators and interpreters) during the Pacific War and subsequent occupation of Japan. Most of these Nisei linguists were recruited by the US Army from among the nearly 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans forcibly relocated to internment camps after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. More than 6,000 Nisei linguists were sent to the Pacific theater to translate captured documents, break codes, and interrogate Japanese prisoners of war, while their families and friends were still detained in the camps. In postwar occupied Japan, Nisei linguists functioned as a bridge between the occupation forces and the Japanese authorities and civilians in addition to working as translators, interpreters and monitors in trials against Japanese war criminals. During the war, Nisei linguists constantly had to confront the language and people of their own heritage in hostile settings, while also fighting against the suspicion of disloyalty within the US Army. Further, they feared being caught, tortured and killed as traitors by Japanese soldiers. Drawing on Cronin's notion (2002, 2006) of heteronomous and autonomous interpreters, this paper examines the complexity of Nisei linguists' position as ＂in-between＂. It also discusses issues of trust, control, and identity concerning military interpreters who use their language skills against people of their own cultural heritage.

1. Nisei Played Vital Role as Eyes, Ears of US Army. (1945, November 22). The Nippon Times, 1.
2. NHK. (2006). Nihon to tatakatta nikkei-jin. [Television documentary aired on August 14, 2006 in Japan].
3. Office of Strategic Services. Personnel Files, compiled 1942-1945, documenting the period 1941-1945. Record Croup 226. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD.
4. Military Intelligence Service Resource Center. n.d. Resources. Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://www.njahs.org/misnorcal/resources/resources.htm#videos
5. Fukushima, G. S. (2006). Evolving Japanese American Identities: Japanese American and Japanese Perspectives. A speech given at the San Francisco Japantown 100th Anniversary Symposium in San Francisco (July 24). Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://www.javadc.org/Don't%20be%20a%20bridge%20-%20Fukushima%20speech.htm
6. NHK. (1985). Sanga Moyu. [Television drama].
7. Suzuki, J. (2012). MIS - Secret Human Weapon. MIS Film Partners.
8. Kawamoto, Y. (2005). Interview by the author in Springfield, Virginia on March 20..
9. Ichikawa, G. (2005). Interview by the author in Vienna, Virginia on December 11..
10. Loyalty of Nisei, Who Played A Vital Role In Pacific War, Hailed by Their Commander. (1946, May 11). The Nippon Times, 2.
11. Denshō. n.d. Archive. Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://www.densho.org/archive/default.asp
12. Babyak, K. (2011). Unsung heroes. World Virginia (October 31, 2011). Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://www.worldvirginia.com/2011/10/unsung_heroes
13. (2006).Researching Japanese War Crimes Records.Washington, DC:Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group.
14. Discover Nikkei. n.d. Stories. Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/stories/
15. McNaughton, J. C. (1994). Nisei Linguists and New Perspectives on the Pacific War: Intelligence, Race, and Continuity. Retrieved October 2005 from http://www.army.mil/CMH-PG/topics/apam/Nisei.htm
16. Baigorri-Jelón, J.(2004).Interpreters at the United Nations: A History.Salamanca:Ediciones de la Universidad de Salamanca.
17. Baker, M.(2010).Interpreters and translators in the war zone: Narrated and narrators.The Translator,16(2),197-222.
18. Bigham, W.(2003).Unparalleled Patriotism: Japanese-Americans in World War.World War II Chronicles,XXII
19. Bradsher, G.(2005).The 'Z Plan' Story: Japan's 1944 Naval Battle Strategy Drifts into US Hands, Part 2.NARA-Prologue,37(3)
20. Cronin, M.(2006).Translation and Identity.London:Routledge.
21. Delisle, J.,Woodsworth, J.(2012).Translators through History.Amsterdam:John Benjamins.
22. Dower, J. W.(1999).Embracing defeat: Japan in the wake of World War II.New York:Norton.
23. Footitt, H.,Kelly, M.(2012).Languages and Military.Basingstoke:Palgrave McMillan.
24. Gaiba, F.(1998).The Origins of Simultaneous Interpretation: The Nuremburg Trial.Ottawa:University of Ottawa Press.
25. Hasegawa, H.,Ozawa, T.(2008).Asking the Nisei about Their Experiences as Military Intelligence Servicemen in Occupied Japan.Japanese Overseas Migration Museum Kiyo,3,24-36.
26. Hawaii Nikkei History Editorial Board(Ed.)(2000).Japanese Eyes/American Heart: Personal Reflections of Hawaii's World War II Nisei Soldiers.Honolulu:Tendai Educational Foundation.
27. Hirata, M.(2008).Interpreting and Translation around 1972.19th IJET Conference in Okinawa,Okinawa:
28. Hosokawa, B.(2002).Nisei: The Quiet Americans.Boulder, CO:University of Colorado Press.
29. Inghilleri, M.(2011).Interpreting Justice. Ethics, Politics and Language.London:Routledge.
30. Kinashi, K.(1985).Dave Itami Akira no Shogai: Kyokuto Kokusai Gunji Saiban Hishi.Tokyo:Paru Shuppan.
31. McNaughton, J. C.(2006).Nisei Linguists, Japanese Americans in the Military Intelligence Service During World War II.The US Department of the Army.
32. Moore, B. L.(2003).Serving Our Country: Japanese American Women in the Military during World War II.New Brunswick, NJ:Rutgers University Press.
33. Niiya, B.(Ed.)(2001).Encyclopedia of Japanese American History: An A to Z Reference from 1868 to the Present.New York:Facts on File, Inc..
34. Pöchhacker, F.(2004).Introducing Interpreting Studies.London:Routledge.
35. Pym, A.(2004).Propositions on Cross-Cultural Communication and Translation.Target,16(1),1-28.
36. Pym, A.(2012).On translator ethics: Principle mediation between cultures.Amsterdam:John Benjamins.
37. Pym, A.(1998).Method in Translation History.Manchester:St. Jerome Publishing.
38. Slesnick, I. L.,Slesnick, C. E.(2006).Kanji & Codes: Learning Japanese for World War II.Bellingham, WA:Authors.
39. Takeda, K.(2010).Interpreting the Tokyo War Crimes Trial.Ottawa:University of Ottawa Press.
40. Takeda, K.(2009).War and Interpreters.Across Languages and Cultures,10(1),49-62.
41. Takemae, E.(2002).Inside GHQ: The Allied Occupation of Japan and its Legacy.New York:Continuum.
42. Tymoczko, M.(Ed.),Gentzler, E.(Ed.)(2002).Translation and Power.Amherst:University of Massachusetts Press.
43. Yamasaki, T.(1983)。Futatsu no Sokoku。Tokyo:Shincho Bunko。