CALDWELL, Idaho — For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) month we are spotlighting members in our community who are of Asian or Pacific Islander descent and sharing their stories.
"We owe it to others to show that it doesn't matter who you are, or how you were raised, or what your ethnicity is, or your race...but that you put your mind to it, and you do the right things in the right ways. Here you are. And so here I am," Idaho lawmaker, Representative Julie Yamamoto (R) said.
Some of Yamamoto's most precious memories were with her grandmother. She recalls spending time at Japanese Obon festivals and learning about the meaning behind the annual celebration.
"She taught me a dance and she taught me the words to the song, and then explained to me that the lyrics are about digging coal; but it's also (about) this coal miners love for this person," Yamamoto explains. "That even though I'm sitting here digging this coal, and it's so hard and dark, and horrible work...my love for you is so immense."
Yamamoto said that although her grandmother would pass down stories like the coal miner song lyrics, her grandmother insisted on not teaching her descendants how to speak Japanese.
Yamamoto recalled her grandmother saying, "We're Americans. And this is where we're going to be, and you need to be the best citizen you can be and bring no dishonor to the family."
"That was always the old Japanese way, you know, that you're going to be humble and honor (the family)," said Yamamoto.
Perhaps a sign of the times. Additionally, during those "times" - the representative said that her parents were forbidden to marry because Yamamoto's father is Japanese.
"It was still illegal in Idaho for there to be mixed marriages. And so, they went up north, and they ended up living a year in Couer d' Alene," said Yamamoto.
Yamamoto grew up in Canyon County. She said that it wasn't until she was in the fourth grade that she experienced some people not appreciating someone of Japanese descent. She recalled a classmate had said, "Yamamoto...what kind of name is that? I'm not calling her that."
The individual involved in the encounter ended up becoming Yamamoto's best friend. But at the time, foreign names were rare in Idaho, and therefore prompted a negative reaction.
Yamamoto recalled a significantly negative instance, however, when she was in junior high school. "On Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, some kids brought raw eggs and they were throwing them at another friend...a family friend. We both went to school, we were both the same age, and (the kids) were saying stuff like, 'how does it feel, Jap?'"
Yamamoto said evidence of racism still exists, even now. But when she goes home at the end of the day, there are reminders of the beauty of the culture displayed in her home.
"We all have at least one really beautiful Japanese doll that my Leyland made...so, I'm fortunate enough." Leyland is Yamamoto's husband, who is also Japanese.
Yamamoto said that while there are many things from her culture that she cherishes, she does, however, regret not having learned Japanese from her grandmother.
"I really regret that I didn't learn Japanese because as she got older, she lost almost all of her English and then there we were unable to speak with her because we didn't, we hadn't learned to speak Japanese," Yamamoto said.
Despite cultural or lingual differences, whether Japanese or English, Yamamoto believes the most important thing is representing who you are as a person.
"We each get a certain space of time here on Earth and we get to decide how we're going to live it," Yamamoto said. "And so, how do you live your life in such a way, even though I don't have children that pass on that legacy?"
"I hope that there are more lives that I have taught and have touched in a positive way."
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