The Nisei women who served in uniform during WW2 don’t get much talked about.
Nisei women take the opportunity to serve
When we think about the Nisei during WW2, the story of the men in the 100th/442nd takes centre stage. But another group of Japanese Americans quietly challenged their situation: the Nisei women who joined the military as members of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and the Army Nurse Corps (ANC).
In the spring of 1943, enlistment opportunities opened up. Many of these young women were volunteering while incarcerated. Their motivations were varied: some wanted to prove their loyalty as Americans, others wanted to support their brothers already in service. It was a way to leave the confines of the camps and it offered hope for improved employment opportunities after the war.
While the number of male volunteers far surpassed expectation, the Nisei women never filled the target quota of 500. Not for lack of courage, but rather due to cultural and practical hurdles. The Nisei women needed parental approval, and some of them never even told their families they had enlisted. Military service for women was seen as inappropriate, in part because of the sexualized image of women in uniform.
Some of the more practical hurdles involved the skills the military was looking for. Women did not operate in the front lines, and their army activities were mainly clerical. However, there was a need for linguists. Yet even those with Japanese language skills were unfamiliar with military terminology and soon found themselves enrolled at the M.I.S. language school.
The men head for Europe, the women for Japan
The most notable difference between the Nisei women and their male relatives is the lack of segregation. While the men all served in the 100th Bn and 442nd RCT, the women were integrated in regular units.
With so much focus on the linguistic need, it is no surprise that most of the Nisei women served in the Pacific theatre. In many cases even in occupied Japan itself. Once there, they lived up to the expectation to present themselves as “American women”. Yet at the same time, the Army wanted them to maintain their culture and language.
Relatively few of the Nisei women found themselves therefor in Europe. One remarkable exception was Dr Yoshiye Togasaki. Already a practising physician, she became an ardent advocate for better sanitation in the camps after her forced removal to Manzanar.
Based on her experience with camp life, Togasaki volunteered with the UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) towards the end of the war. She soon found herself en-route to Puglia in southern Italy, to work in the refugee camps there. Although a civilian organisation, all staff had to enlist since the war was still ongoing. Togasaki was commissioned in the U.S. Army with the rank of Captain, making her one of the most senior-ranking Nisei women to serve during WW2.
The women’s stories are everywhere
Stories like these remind us that women’s experiences during WW2 remain far too often overlooked. History books barely mention women in war other than as passive figures on the home front. The reality is far more intriguing and complex!
From performing military service in administrative or medical roles to acting as spies and setting up early special ops networks. From portraying the ideological ideal as wives of the party leaders to walking the diplomatic tightrope under foreign occupation. From taking up arms in armed resistance brigades to simply trying to keep the children fed. War history is full of intriguing, courageous and formidable women.
If you would like to experience Italy in a different way, our new Women in War tour offers a different perspective! We visit some of the most beautiful places and combine them with unique experiences, while you “meet” some of those women through their stories… Aperitivo in Portofino with baroness Jeanie von Mumm and Eva Braun, a fashion workshop in Milan with Claretta Petacci and Edda Mussolini, a garden visit with war diarist Iris Origo at La Foce, a cooking class with resistance leader Laura Seghettini and many more.
Each of these women have put their stamp on the events of WW2. Some of their actions still impact life today even if they are not described in history books!
So join us and see why HER story shapes history!