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Sachie
Saiki, Patsy Sumie. Sachie: A Daughter of Hawai`i. Honolulu, HI: Mutual Publishing (1215 Center Street, Suite 210, Honolulu, HI, 96816), 2004 (reprint), c.1997. 180 pp. ISBN: 1566476771 (pa) $12.95.
“I don’t wanna be a nobody like Father and Mother!” exclaims protagonist Sachie. “I wanna be a somebody, and I can’t be a somebody stuck on a farm like this!” Sachie: A Daughter of Hawai’i details the fictional account of an adolescent girl growing up in Hilo in 1942. Living in a rural farming community, Sachie Himeno is “half-child, half-adult; half-Japanese, half-American; half-naïve, half-aware; half-submissive, half-questioning,” and is constantly at odds with the traditions of her Japanese parents and her own life in Hawai`i. As the novel develops, Sachie begins to understand the ways of her parents and learns what it means to be a Japanese American in territorial Hawai`i.
Author Patsy Sumie Saiki was born in Ahualoa on the island of Hawai`i, on March 12, 1915. Also a child of immigrant parents, Saiki also explores the history of the experience of being “local” in Ganbare! An Example of Japanese Spirit, Japanese Women in Hawaii: The First 100 Years, and Early Japanese Immigrants in Hawaii. Of the character Sachie, Saiki writes, “As she peeks into and tiptoes from childhood to adulthood, she is anxious yet reluctant to enter a world where she cannot rely on age-old, fully accepted traditions her parents have depended on. Hers will have to be a new and different life, a mixture of her American-Hawaiian environment and her Japanese heritage.” (Preface)
Like better-known Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Saiki details the experience of being a Nissei during the 1940’s in Sachie. However, there is less emphasis on the effects of World War II and prejudice against Japanese Americans in Sachie. Instead, Saiki focuses on the uniquely “local” experiences of Japanese Americans in Hawai`i. This book is highly recommended for adults and children ages 12 and up, making it a good buy for public libraries and school library media centers. At $12.95, it is an inexpensive and rare piece for young adults. Unfortunately, it does not come in hardcover and is not printed on acid-free paper, making it vulnerable to wear and tear. In addition, while most of the Japanese and Hawaiian terms are explained or can be discovered through context, a glossary would help those unfamiliar with the vocabulary.
For those of us who have grown up in Hawai’i, this is a very relatable and enlightening read about our plantation past. For those outside of the islands, it is a rare glimpse into our colorful history. While it is written in language suitable for young adults, adults will find it a touching reminder of the “good old days.” As a Japanese American woman who has grown up in Hawai`i, and whose family came from a community similar to the Himenos, I have gained a greater appreciation for the sacrifices of my ancestors after reading Sachie.
“I don’t wanna be a nobody like Father and Mother!” exclaims protagonist Sachie. “I wanna be a somebody, and I can’t be a somebody stuck on a farm like this!” Sachie: A Daughter of Hawai’i details the fictional account of an adolescent girl growing up in Hilo in 1942. Living in a rural farming community, Sachie Himeno is “half-child, half-adult; half-Japanese, half-American; half-naïve, half-aware; half-submissive, half-questioning,” and is constantly at odds with the traditions of her Japanese parents and her own life in Hawai`i. As the novel develops, Sachie begins to understand the ways of her parents and learns what it means to be a Japanese American in territorial Hawai`i.
Author Patsy Sumie Saiki was born in Ahualoa on the island of Hawai`i, on March 12, 1915. Also a child of immigrant parents, Saiki also explores the history of the experience of being “local” in Ganbare! An Example of Japanese Spirit, Japanese Women in Hawaii: The First 100 Years, and Early Japanese Immigrants in Hawaii. Of the character Sachie, Saiki writes, “As she peeks into and tiptoes from childhood to adulthood, she is anxious yet reluctant to enter a world where she cannot rely on age-old, fully accepted traditions her parents have depended on. Hers will have to be a new and different life, a mixture of her American-Hawaiian environment and her Japanese heritage.” (Preface)
Like better-known Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Saiki details the experience of being a Nissei during the 1940’s in Sachie. However, there is less emphasis on the effects of World War II and prejudice against Japanese Americans in Sachie. Instead, Saiki focuses on the uniquely “local” experiences of Japanese Americans in Hawai`i. This book is highly recommended for adults and children ages 12 and up, making it a good buy for public libraries and school library media centers. At $12.95, it is an inexpensive and rare piece for young adults. Unfortunately, it does not come in hardcover and is not printed on acid-free paper, making it vulnerable to wear and tear. In addition, while most of the Japanese and Hawaiian terms are explained or can be discovered through context, a glossary would help those unfamiliar with the vocabulary.
For those of us who have grown up in Hawai’i, this is a very relatable and enlightening read about our plantation past. For those outside of the islands, it is a rare glimpse into our colorful history. While it is written in language suitable for young adults, adults will find it a touching reminder of the “good old days.” As a Japanese American woman who has grown up in Hawai`i, and whose family came from a community similar to the Himenos, I have gained a greater appreciation for the sacrifices of my ancestors after reading Sachie.
Submitted in April 2007 by Tammy Akiyama, LIS Student, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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