Latest / Japanese America / S1E8 Reviving Tradition Through Manzanar's Historic Diamond

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S1E8 Reviving Tradition Through Manzanar's Historic Diamond · Japanese America

• 0:00
  Baseball or death.
• 0:01
  Death. I mean so much of my life is around baseball.
• 0:07
  You know, when I was a kid, I played it, and then we played travel baseball.
• 0:11
  And now, as an adult, my son plays baseball year round.
• 0:16
  We practice every day.
• 0:17
  We have practices all the time.
• 0:19
  Pretty much every day is baseball.
• 0:21
  What position did you play?
• 0:23
  I played second base and kind of utility.
• 0:26
  So I played all over the place, but mostly second base.
• 0:29
  And my son is a catcher.
• 0:30
  Wow.
• 0:31
  Wow. Catcher is the brain.
• 0:32
  Yeah. He has to think about baseball a lot.
• 0:35
  Wow. Did you know that I was a Nomo fan?
• 0:39
  You were a Nomo fan. I was a normal fan, too.
• 0:41
  No, I wasn't a normal fan.
• 0:43
  But according to Fox News, I was a Nomo fan.
• 0:46
  Because you're Japanese?
• 0:47
  Yeah.
• 0:50
  He was really good, though.
• 0:51
  So when he came to America, the Fox News came to my office with, you know, everybody, everybody who works there were of Japanese, and they came to our office and interviewed everyone, and everybody knew about baseball.
• 1:04
  I don't know anything about baseball.
• 1:07
  And so I was like, okay, uh, Nomo, I hope Nomo will do well because he's my age, he's Japanese. He's a nice-looking man.
• 1:18
  And then everybody else said like, something smart.
• 1:21
  They pick my footage to be on TV.
• 1:24
  Oh, nice.
• 1:25
  So I said, Michelle Nomo fan.
• 1:28
  But your son played baseball, right?
• 1:29
  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, He plays baseball.
• 1:30
  He plays baseball.
• 1:31
  Okay. He's a pitcher.
• 1:32
  He does everything.
• 1:33
  But oh gosh, he pitched and he hit a boy three kids in a row.
• 1:38
  So I'm like, okay, let's get out of here.
• 1:52
  Welcome, welcome, welcome to episode number eight of the Japanese America podcast.
• 1:57
  My name is Michelle and I'm one of your hosts.
• 2:00
  And I'm Koji. How was the beginning of the school year going for you?
• 2:02
  Yeah. It's great.
• 2:04
  I am back to school taking my music class again.
• 2:08
  What? Your kids are in school?
• 2:09
  Oh my kids. Oh, gosh.
• 2:12
  My daughter became a high school student.
• 2:14
  Oh, wow. Okay.
• 2:15
  And she went to the homecoming game already at high school.
• 2:18
  I'm like, oh my gosh, it's American high school, like Greece.
• 2:23
  Greece. Okay.
• 2:25
  And for me, yeah, school is a wonderful time because I get a lot of writing done and work because during the summer, my the amount of work I get done is so much less in terms of my writing and producing stuff.
• 2:38
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: 00 to three to get my work done.
• 2:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And then after that, it's all baseball.
• 2:45
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And don't you also teach?
• 2:46
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I do teach, but mostly that's at night or some during the day, but mostly at night that I that I do during the summer and the winter.
• 2:53
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Like that doesn't change anything.
• 2:54
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I teach year round, so.
• 2:55
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Wow.
• 2:56
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It's always just. And the scheduling doesn't match up with my son's scheduling.
• 2:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It's. The quarters are all kind of all over the place.
• 3:03
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So this is where we look at all things Japanese American.
• 3:05
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: We'll bring alive the history, culture, and people that make up this diverse community.
• 3:09
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Please consider writing a review of our show on the platform you use to listen to this podcast. We know it's a pain in the butt, but it does go a long way in helping the show. It helps us reach new listeners, grow our show, and most importantly, it enables us to keep putting out the content that we hope you enjoy.
• 3:25
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: In this month's episode, we're getting ready for the baseball playoffs by looking at the Manzanar Baseball Project.
• 3:30
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: During the 1940s, baseball was the national pastime of the US, including in America's World War Two concentration camps.
• 3:38
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Japanese Americans created leagues in all ten camps, and the games drew huge crowds, with spectators often standing and sitting on bare dirt under the blazing sun.
• 3:49
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Baseball was a way for Japanese Americans to find a sense of normalcy, uplift their spirits, and claim a connection to American culture.
• 3:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Today the Manzanar Baseball Project is rebuilding and bringing to life the baseball diamond at Manzanar National Historic Site.
• 4:07
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Artist and project director Dan Kwong is spearheading the project.
• 4:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Two exhibition games are planned for September.
• 4:14
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: The Little Tokyo Giants and the Lodi Jacl Templars, as well as North versus South all star game. We are lucky enough to have one of those players join us for the podcast.
• 4:23
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: A member of Jam's board, Joshua Morey.
• 4:25
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Joshua Morey is a chairperson of Ori-gen and president of Jay Morey Company, Inc..
• 4:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Ori-gen amplifies the voice of diverse communities throughout America by providing resources, services, and perpetuation planning for independent agents and brokers from diverse backgrounds.
• 4:40
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Morey serves on the Board of Directors for the US Japan Council, JANM and the Little Tokyo Community Council, and the Japanese Evangelical Mission Society.
• 4:49
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Wow.
• 4:49
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Wow. I didn't know there are baseball teams.
• 4:53
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: What? The little Tokyo giants.
• 4:55
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, they're like adult baseball teams.
• 4:56
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh. And Lodi.
• 4:58
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Lodi.
• 4:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: How many Japanese Americans are there?
• 5:00
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I don't know. There's a lot of Japanese Americans who are playing baseball.
• 5:04
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: In Lodi. Wow.
• 5:06
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Probably from that area.
• 5:07
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I don't imagine they're all from Lodi.
• 5:09
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Okay. Because I've driven through.
• 5:10
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. It's like a farming community.
• 5:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, Yeah.
• 5:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, wow. Wow.
• 5:14
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: First, let's get to know Josh a little bit.
• 5:16
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Tell us about yourself. Josh?
• 5:18
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. Um, hi.
• 5:19
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: My name is Josh Morey, the president of the Jay Mori Company and chairperson of Ori-gen Insurance Group.
• 5:25
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Uh, come from a legacy business that my dad and uncle started 44 years ago.
• 5:29
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And since then, I've just.
• 5:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: We have roots in the communities that I grew up in, in Little Tokyo and in San Jose Japantown. And I've since expanded to Hawaii as well.
• 5:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: That's what I do as my day job.
• 5:41
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: What I do on the side is I just I love baseball, and so multiple different engagements and businesses surrounding baseball as well.
• 5:49
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Next we asked Josh about when he fell in love with baseball.
• 5:53
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I fell in love with baseball.
• 5:55
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Gosh, probably four years old.
• 5:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: My dad was a lefty, and I think he was trying to force me to be a left handed pitcher, but I was naturally right handed.
• 6:03
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But, um, got into baseball at T-ball, and I just I loved the game the first time I picked up a bat and that's, like, came home from school and just wanted to, like, play catch in the backyard or hit baseballs.
• 6:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I would say, though, that my love for the game grew when the Dodgers won the World Series in 1988.
• 6:23
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I mean, just like seeing the energy when Kirk Gibson hit that home run in game one and like 88, I was probably like, you know, like six years old.
• 6:32
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And so but I still have vivid memories.
• 6:34
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I was living in the Bay area at the time too.
• 6:36
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And so like not many Dodger fans up there, but my dad bled Dodger blue, you know, growing up in the Bay.
• 6:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So I mean, I think at that moment I really, really fell in love with the game.
• 6:47
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And sorry, long winded answer to your question.
• 6:50
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think it comes in different steps, but it was when Hideo Nomo came to America to play for the Dodgers that I think I really started to identify with the game.
• 7:00
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And growing up, I was the only Asian person on my team.
• 7:04
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I was usually the smallest kid, and to be able to see someone like Hideo Nomo come and have such great success that someone that looked like me, and that everyone else on my team was trying to emulate with his, like, tornado, you know, wind up.
• 7:17
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It kind of became cool to to to have my teammates emulate someone that looked like me. And so I think that's where I personally started identifying and embracing the game as who I was in the game.
• 7:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: While researching Josh, I found out he played college baseball.
• 7:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: More of that to come later, so I asked him to tell us about his baseball career.
• 7:35
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So I played baseball my whole life.
• 7:37
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I actually played three sports my whole life.
• 7:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Unlike today, where my kids are having to pick one, played in high school, went on to play at Wheaton College, and then went on to play in Japan for bounced around for a couple of years and came back and hung it up in 2006.
• 7:54
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I noticed that Josh was always batting high in the order, so I asked him what kind of hitter he was and who his professional player comp was.
• 8:01
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh my goodness. I think my player comps Dave Roberts.
• 8:04
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I depended on my speed.
• 8:07
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Great defensively hit for a high average.
• 8:10
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I guess that's relative. But in my mind a high average and mostly singles and doubles.
• 8:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Michelle, Josh played in Japan.
• 8:17
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: What do you think the challenges of a Japanese American playing baseball in Japan would be.
• 8:20
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Wow. He played in Japan?
• 8:22
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah.
• 8:22
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Wow. I don't know, there are many foreign gaijin baseball players, But not Japanese American.
• 8:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I know gaijin baseball players called Sketo like helpers, but I didn't know Japanese Americans.
• 8:35
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I don't think there were a lot of them.
• 8:36
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah He might be the one a few Because I don't know, Japanese people are racist.
• 8:42
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I'm sorry, I am one of them.
• 8:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But because there are only two races, Japanese and foreigners.
• 8:48
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah Non-Japanese and Japanese Americans look Japanese, but once they, you know, people figure they don't speak Japanese and they start treating you kind of bad.
• 8:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah yeah It must be. That's what I was thinking. It must be tough because culturally, it's so different.
• 9:05
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, I think Japanese.
• 9:07
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Japanese people are a little jealous.
• 9:10
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Maybe, I don't know.
• 9:11
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Japan is very in-group.
• 9:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Outgroup.
• 9:13
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yes.
• 9:13
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And so Japanese Americans are definitely outgroup.
• 9:16
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So. So I think that that's a big issue that's that comes up if you play if a Japanese American plays in Japan.
• 9:20
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But I think the bigger issue is almost philosophically like everything is super different. And I think that there's an expectation with the Japanese American that they understand those expectations.
• 9:30
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And also like Japanese players in Japan, they've been playing since they were little in Japanese leagues.
• 9:37
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And they have like senpai Kohai.
• 9:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah They oh my gosh.
• 9:41
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But that's what I mean, that there's these kind of expectations that are completely different, like just how they interact with their teammates and how they interact with the coaches and other players.
• 9:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And you know, like, for example, I played a summer in Japan and I remember, you know, I was a they made fun of me a lot because my approach to baseball was very American, you know, like, I would try to hit the ball hard or pull the ball.
• 10:06
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And Japan at the time especially wasn't the case.
• 10:09
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And so every time I would do something that they would just say things like stupid American or, you know, like.
• 10:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, that's so mean.
• 10:17
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It's just, I mean, you know, they wouldn't say it out loud, but it was like in the looks, right? So I think that there would be kind of those expectations where I think it might be easier if you don't look Japanese, because then they just expect you to be stupid and not know anything anyway.
• 10:29
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah.
• 10:29
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So. But the moment you look Japanese, it's probably pretty challenging.
• 10:33
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: You know, that's why I tell my son it's probably easier to play in Mexico than it would be to play in Japan, because in Mexico, everyone knows that you're not Mexican Because it's clear you're not Mexican.
• 10:45
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But if my son plays in Mexico, he looks Mexican.
• 10:50
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Because he's hapa.
• 10:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. He's hapa.
• 10:52
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Okay.
• 10:53
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh my gosh. My son's playing with Mexican people at Adult League.
• 10:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah.
• 10:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I'm like, okay, who won?
• 11:00
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: He's like, I don't know. They drank like three cases of modelo in two innings and they are all drunk.
• 11:07
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: That's funny. So he plays an adult league now?
• 11:09
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: No, he like he got invited to play because he works at the restaurant.
• 11:13
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh. Got it.
• 11:14
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And so he's been going here and there.
• 11:16
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But like he's like he loves it because they have tacos.
• 11:22
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Well, the Mexican League pays really well.
• 11:24
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh they do.
• 11:25
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. They actually play pay really well.
• 11:26
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: They pay better than American independent ball.
• 11:29
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, Yeah. And I don't know about Japan, though.
• 11:32
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I don't know how much Japan pays.
• 11:33
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Next we asked Josh about the importance of baseball to the Japanese American community.
• 11:38
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: To me, the significance of baseball to our community stems from the incarceration camps, and I do not think, but I know for certain that it did provide a sense of normalcy.
• 11:49
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Just being in the camps and being around a game that's still required one ball, you know, nine players, a wooden bat and and people around, you know, competing at this as if they were competing back in LA or San Francisco or wherever it was.
• 12:05
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think that really helped solidify our community within the camps.
• 12:09
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I think coming out of the camps, these teams that were formed have now continued on.
• 12:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And like this year for NAU, we're celebrating our seventh state.
• 12:18
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: 70th state tournament.
• 12:20
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So it just says a lot about how the baseball was so influential then and is still very influential in our community now.
• 12:27
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: We asked Josh about the Manzanar Baseball Project, I love it. So Dan is the is the mastermind behind this Manzanar baseball project that, you know, he wanted to he had this vision of bringing baseball back to the camps.
• 12:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think it goes into all the research that he did of how influential baseball was in creating community in such a hard time, and so he wanted to go and find home plate at Manzanar, and he's got pictures about all the brush that was in the area and how hard it was to actually find home plate and then start clearing out the brush, laying down the foundation and creating an actual field where we can bring back our community for the first time to play on this field.
• 13:05
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And how he got involved in the project.
• 13:08
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Surprisingly, I'm 41, soon to be 42.
• 13:11
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I don't know how old Dan Kwong is, but he's been playing for the Little Tokyo Giants for, uh, I don't know, a long time.
• 13:19
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Right. And so Dan still plays with us.
• 13:21
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: He starts sharing this idea when we're playing on Sundays, that he wanted to go and find and bring back the bring back a game to Manzanar.
• 13:29
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And so inevitably, he loops some of us in.
• 13:32
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I haven't been up to the field yet at Manzanar, but a lot of our teammates have gone to help, then clear the field and build the field.
• 13:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And his whole thing is like, if we build it, they will come.
• 13:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So yeah, I mean, inevitably playing with Dan looped me in and he knows how much how meaningful baseball is in my life, so asked me to also play in the game.
• 13:52
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Finally, we asked about the importance of the Manzanar Baseball project to the community.
• 13:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I don't think many people realize the power that of baseball and, you know, and the power that baseball had within our community during the incarceration.
• 14:08
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So there's some documentaries that been done recently.
• 14:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: There's one called Baseball Behind Barbed Wire.
• 14:14
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And although I've read a lot of the history, to be able to see that and see how impactful it was to bring us all together, I think would be great for our broader community to understand and to know.
• 14:25
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And like Dan said, if you build it, they will come.
• 14:27
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think so many people within our community are going to come and they're going to, you know, experience this game, experience the impact that a simple game can have on building community.
• 14:36
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But also just like tying this back to our broader roots of education.
• 14:40
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Educating ourselves on incarceration camps post-war where we are today.
• 14:44
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And like even looking to the future of, you know, our impact as Japanese Americans in broader America.
• 14:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think this simple game is going to is going to be able to help bring to light stories that we've never heard.
• 14:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And what it meant to Josh, personally, I.
• 14:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Love baseball and I love my community.
• 15:03
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And although my family was in at Manzanar, my family was in Amachi tying two things that I loved together and to be able to take part in a historic game that can help us, you know, remember where we came from, but also think about like, what is the future of our community look like?
• 15:22
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I mean, it is through the love of baseball that I'm most excited about this, but to think about the broader impact of what we can do, and it's a gathering point for us to to like, springboard what we can do more in the future.
• 15:35
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Koji. What does that Manzanar baseball project mean to you?
• 15:38
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Being able to go back and find the home plate and redo these moments, I think it's really important for the community for a couple of reasons.
• 15:47
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It brings us together, right?
• 15:49
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: In different circumstances.
• 15:50
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think it also brings up the the historic and the educational about why why these Japanese Americans are playing in this concentration camp in the middle of the desert. I think those are all important things.
• 16:02
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And like I heard that they're going to they might do a baseball game for kids, Japanese American kids. And I want my son to play there because I think it's important for him to understand that even though these Japanese Americans were incarcerated behind barbed wire, they were making the best of a bad situation, right?
• 16:18
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: That they were playing baseball, they were having beauty contests.
• 16:21
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: They were all those kinds of things were were there.
• 16:24
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And that these people, you know, just like they could have been sitting around and being sad or they just tried to make the best of it.
• 16:29
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And that baseball represented a, you know, 3 hours or 2 hours of me of being able to get away from the incarceration, so to speak, and play.
• 16:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So I think that it's an important reminder.
• 16:41
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And the more important reminders that we have of this to not only the Japanese American community, but the community, the broader community, I think is really important. What about you?
• 16:49
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: What do you think the Manzanar Baseball Project means?
• 16:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think it's going to connect all the people like that, by that, by that together as a community, because a lot of people still love baseball.
• 17:01
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I mean, baseball used to be the pastime, but nowadays there are many other choices.
• 17:06
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It's still the only.
• 17:07
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, but now with Ohtani, everybody loves baseball.
• 17:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yes. So especially here in LA.
• 17:14
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yes. And I think it's going to get more attention by different type of people.
• 17:21
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I think it will put the light not just the baseball project but the whole.
• 17:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Incarceration. Yeah, definitely.
• 17:30
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I was super curious about what it was like for Josh to play baseball in Japan.
• 17:33
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, the being Japanese American playing in Japan, people kind of just expected me to speak Japanese, and my Japanese was horrible.
• 17:42
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And so I would try a little bit.
• 17:45
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So I think that was the hard part, is almost like just blending in with everybody and expecting to know all the norms, like even just baseball norms.
• 17:54
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Um, I didn't quite understand.
• 17:55
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I would say that was also the the most exciting part for me was I get to play in a game that I love and also learn it through a different lens.
• 18:04
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So, you know, showing up for us in America two hours before the game, while in Japan, it's well beyond two hours before the game.
• 18:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And the way that you respect your opponents, you respect your equipment, you respect your coach, your teammates, it takes it to another level.
• 18:20
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So, you know, I got to really kind of experience a different culture.
• 18:23
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Even though I am Japanese American, never experienced baseball from playing in Japan.
• 18:29
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Of course. Being a baseball dad, I needed to ask Josh for advice for my son.
• 18:33
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I mean, it's the greatest game created in the history of mankind.
• 18:36
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So. I love it, and I get nostalgic about it.
• 18:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I mean, to the extent where I can give it up.
• 18:45
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I still play almost every Sunday and NAU LABO whenever I can pick up a bat and ball and be part of a team.
• 18:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But I think any encouragement I'd give to your son or any other JAs that are playing baseball love baseball is like the it starts with the love for the game.
• 19:01
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Most of us aren't going to go on and play professionally, but the game of baseball teaches so much about life that I carry with me every day.
• 19:10
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And you know, if you're a 300 hitter, that means you fail seven out of ten times.
• 19:14
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So being able to forget your mistake quickly because you're going to have another at bat that day. Same thing here.
• 19:21
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: What I do in business is like just because I strike out once in a meeting, may, you know, I'm going to have multiple meetings today.
• 19:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So how do you quickly erase that and baseball terminology.
• 19:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: How do you turn the page and turn the page moving on.
• 19:34
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But you know, love for the game is number one.
• 19:37
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And it's going to teach so many lessons about life.
• 19:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Last but not least, we have to ask what's the importance of Shohei Ohtani.
• 19:42
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: From Nomo and all the excitement to where we sit today with Ohtani went to the all star game in Colorado a couple years ago, and I thought that, you know, our community was the only one rooting for Ohtani when I showed up to the game.
• 19:55
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It doesn't matter what color skin you are, no matter where you are from.
• 19:58
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: In America, everybody had on Ohtani jerseys.
• 20:01
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And like, I just felt so proud because awesome for me to see a Japanese player be the face of baseball, I think it does kind of change the narrative of who can accomplish anything in, you know, through this game, through in America, through whatever, whatever lens you're looking at.
• 20:18
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But I'm just so proud to see someone that looks like us being the face of baseball worldwide.
• 20:24
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Michelle, now that we heard all of this, what are your thoughts.
• 20:27
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: On Shohei Ohtani?
• 20:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: On all of it. On everything we've heard.
• 20:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, my. I used to work for Japanese TV news, sports news, and I used to interview Matsui.
• 20:40
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: The Godzilla.
• 20:41
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, Yeah, The New York. Yankees, Outfielder.
• 20:42
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: New York Yankees. And that was so much fun.
• 20:45
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And now Shohei Ohtani is here and I don't know, like baseball game is so much fun.
• 20:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: You go to different parks and and it just brings everybody smile.
• 20:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah.
• 20:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I think this project is amazing.
• 21:01
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I can't wait to see the game and outcome.
• 21:04
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: You know for me, I think what Shohei and and kind of what it all represents, what this project represents as well is that, you know, Asian Americans, Japanese Americans are as are as American as everybody else.
• 21:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And, you know, when people see people that look different playing the sport, that is the ultimate example of America, then I think it it opens it up in ways that, that make it that make it more inclusive. Like, for example, my son plays like I've talked about.
• 21:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: My son plays travel baseball.
• 21:30
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And there's a definite different feel for my son now than it was when I was a kid.
• 21:36
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Like when I was a kid, I was pretty much the only Asian person around.
• 21:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: There was never Asian people.
• 21:40
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Now my son's team is about half Asian American.
• 21:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: There's, you know, we go to places and we play teams with Asians and not a lot, but more than before.
• 21:48
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And, you know, when I was playing, there was a lot of I wouldn't say necessarily racism, but a lot of doubt about my ability to play there.
• 21:55
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But now you see people like Shohei Ohtani or Ichiro Suzuki or Hideo Nomo or any of those guys, and then you realize that we can play baseball for Japanese Americans.
• 22:04
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: We've been playing baseball, you know, pre-World War Two.
• 22:07
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: You know, it just shows how Americanized and how American we are, how good old fashioned American we are.
• 22:14
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. The baseball.
• 22:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So you you don't have to speak the English language to play together.
• 22:20
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, I mean, home, I don't know, you said you don't say home.
• 22:23
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Home Homerun. I don't know, but it's just like stand up comedy.
• 22:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I do stand up comedy, you know, you show up and people don't even say hi to me sometimes because I'm not them.
• 22:36
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah But if you do a good set, they'll all come to me and say hi.
• 22:40
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think the baseball is the same thing.
• 22:42
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Like when, you know, when you show up, you know, you kind of feel like outside a little bit. But when you play really good, you are one of them.
• 22:50
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And they really like people who plays together.
• 22:54
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. I mean, there's actually a funny story.
• 22:56
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: We traveled to Iowa at the Field of Dreams tournament, and my son participated in the home run contest.
• 23:01
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, wow.
• 23:01
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And he was a foot shorter, not a foot shorter.
• 23:04
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: He's probably like 6 or 7in, but significantly shorter than everybody else.
• 23:08
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I remember when he was going up to bat for the home run contest.
• 23:11
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Everyone's like, Yeah, right.
• 23:13
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Well, they weren't saying anything racist, which was what I was listening for was something like racist about him, but they were more like, who's this short kid?
• 23:19
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah.
• 23:20
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Which was different because when I was a kid, that would have been like, who's the Jap or something?
• 23:24
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, But but now it's like, who's the shark?
• 23:27
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And then the moment he hit, he hit two out of three home runs.
• 23:30
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, wow. Wow.
• 23:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And then they were, like, cheering for him.
• 23:33
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yes.
• 23:34
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I think that that's a direct effect of seeing people like Shohei Ohtani that you know, because before Shohei the criticism even Godzilla or Mizuki or.
• 23:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Matsui.
• 23:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Matsui. Yeah. Even before him, the stereotype of Japanese players was that they couldn't hit home runs. That we could hit singles like Ichiro or doubles and stuff, and we could run around faster, or we could pitch, but never, you know, never hit home runs, never be the big home run hitter.
• 23:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I think that seeing people like Shohei opens the doors to make people think, oh, well, he might be short or he might be Japanese, or he might be Asian, but that he could do it, you know?
• 24:09
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And that made me really happy to see, you know, that there was a lot of that that representation means so much to to it.
• 24:16
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I love that the mural over there.
• 24:19
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, That you could see.
• 24:20
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: In Little Tokyo. The mural.
• 24:22
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: You know it moves, right?
• 24:23
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: That's.
• 24:23
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, that's what I think.
• 24:24
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: You're supposed to scan the QR code.
• 24:27
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So Michelle's talking about in Little Tokyo on the Miyako Hotel.
• 24:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: On the wall, there's a giant mural of Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto.
• 24:35
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And there is a QR code, I think, in the parking lot.
• 24:40
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Like, you have to go to the parking lot, you scan the QR code, it brings you to a website, and then when you take a picture of it, it moves.
• 24:46
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Wow, I didn't know this. Actually.
• 24:47
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I've been here like a year or like six months since it's gone up.
• 24:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I didn't even know until my wife told me when we came here for lunch the other day.
• 24:54
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh And she took a picture and she showed it to me.
• 24:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So yeah, there's a there's an awesome mural.
• 24:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I mean, who would have thought that we would have a mural of, like, probably one of the best baseball players in the world.
• 25:06
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Japanese.
• 25:07
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Who's Japanese? Yeah, yeah.
• 25:09
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: That's crazy.
• 25:09
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So I have a question.
• 25:10
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yes.
• 25:11
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: The the baseball game is going to be held at Manzanar.
• 25:14
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yes.
• 25:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, wow.
• 25:16
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So, Josh, Josh talked about how Dan was, by the way, we tried to get interviewed, Dan, but Dan's busy setting it up so we weren't able to get that.
• 25:23
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But Dan had to go look for the the home plate like the original home plate.
• 25:27
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I think he found it.
• 25:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And then he started, you know, getting all the the plants out and putting dirt in and stands. And so that's what they've been working on.
• 25:35
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So they're going to have the game there.
• 25:38
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: There. From what I heard originally it was going to be open just to anybody we want.
• 25:42
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I wanted to go there with my family.
• 25:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But I think last I heard that it wasn't going to be open to public.
• 25:47
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It's only going to open to the families and then they'll stream it live.
• 25:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But I think in the future they want to have games like my son or something that that could play there.
• 25:56
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So time to build a hotel there.
• 25:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I think there's hotels in not next to Manzanar, but in, um, Lone Pine or the the city right next door.
• 26:06
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: There's, there's a bunch of hotels that we've stayed at.
• 26:08
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. Because I went to In and Out after I visited Manzanar.
• 26:13
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I had to drive two hours.
• 26:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: No there's a city right next door.
• 26:17
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Like. I mean, not next door, like 20 minutes away.
• 26:19
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. So there's, there's like motels and hotels.
• 26:22
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But the only thing is that's interesting about that, about the kid's game is that there's just I mean, how many Japanese American baseball players are around?
• 26:29
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Well, you.
• 26:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Like kids, like, Okay. Your kid.
• 26:33
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah, there's I have another Japanese American Logan, on my team.
• 26:36
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: So there's two. But other than there's just not a lot of Japanese Americans.
• 26:39
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: My son is 18, so he's not a kid anymore.
• 26:42
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: He could play on these teams.
• 26:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh. The Lodi.
• 26:44
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: No he can play on the little Tokyo team.
• 26:48
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: To learn more about the life inside of the concentration camps, I invite you guys to come to JANM and walk through our ongoing exhibition, Common Ground Heart of a community. My favorite section is where you can see a picture of people playing baseball, but also you can see Japanese American incarcerees making the best of a bad situation. Things like dances, basketball, and even a beauty contest.
• 27:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Michelle, if you could go back to one of these concentration camps, what activity would you want to still do?
• 27:17
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Well, if I could go back to the concentration camp, Like. Not go back.
• 27:22
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But if you could go to a concentration camp.
• 27:24
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Uh, I, you know, I used to do hand quilting.
• 27:27
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, and I think it would be fun to form a quilting bees.
• 27:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Okay.
• 27:32
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: With the other ladies.
• 27:33
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: That's interesting. But also, like, um, calligraphy would be nice.
• 27:38
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: You probably want to be a Japanese calligraphy.
• 27:40
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, but there's English.
• 27:41
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I mean, like American calligraphy.
• 27:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Because anything Japanese would be seen as.
• 27:45
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh Not good.
• 27:46
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, But they still did it. I think they still did it.
• 27:48
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: They did, like, ikebana and stuff.
• 27:50
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But I think that, you know, the less Japanese things you did, the better, probably.
• 27:53
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I also like so there are so many photographers.
• 27:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah.
• 27:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And I, I love them all.
• 28:00
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And the mountain or the mountain mountains are really nice.
• 28:03
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. Although it's. I think it was illegal originally to bring in cameras.
• 28:08
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Cameras? Oh. Because it could be a spy.
• 28:10
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. But I think that people did sneak in cameras.
• 28:12
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: It wasn't. I mean, there are examples of people sneaking cameras, and when Ansel Adams came to visit, he hired Miyatake to take pictures as well to.
• 28:22
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But he was taking like, not the pictures with him.
• 28:24
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: He was just doing his own pictures.
• 28:25
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But yeah, that would be great.
• 28:27
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Or maybe I could be the model.
• 28:31
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: If I were in one of these camps, I would want to play baseball.
• 28:34
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I mean, that's what I want to do.
• 28:35
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: But I have to admit that if you guys come to the if you come to the exhibition and you see the picture of the beauty queen, she's really hot.
• 28:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Ooh.
• 28:43
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah. So I would I would want to be a part of that.
• 28:45
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, maybe I yeah, I, I don't know.
• 28:47
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I just want to be a model for the photographers.
• 28:51
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: I, I want to be the boyfriend of the model for the or the beauty queen.
• 28:55
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Oh, that'd be nice.
• 28:57
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: You'd be the arm candy.
• 28:59
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Yeah.
• 29:06
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Thank you, Josh Morey, for your time.
• 29:08
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And thank you all for listening.
• 29:10
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: There are almost 3 million podcasts we are honored you've chosen to listen to ours.
• 29:15
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: And if you like the podcast, please share it with your friends, family, and even your enemies. You'll be doing a lot to help us keep bringing exciting and fun content every month.
• 29:24
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: This podcast is a program of the Japanese American National Museum.
• 29:28
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: The museum's mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of America's ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience.
• 29:38
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Please rate, review and subscribe to our podcast, and be sure to join us next month when we talk giant robots.
• 29:44
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Giant robots.
• 29:46
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: What? That sounds fun.
• 29:49
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: All right. Bye.
• 29:50
  So it's nice to have, you know, 8: Bye.