The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-07-29
A SURVEY OF SOME CHANGES
IN THE SEATTLE JAPANESE
COMMUNITY RESI- LTIN
FROM THE EVACUATION
BY DIR. r. w. O'Brien and Frank
Miyamoto of the Department of
Sociology, University Of Wash
ington.

A survey of the Japanese Ameri-
cans in Seattle, completed last
March, revealed that an estimated
4,700 Issei and Nisei had returned
here since the lifting of the exclu-
sion orders. This is approximately
two-thirds of the 6.975 enumerated
in 1910 by the U. S. Census, and re-
fleets the expected decline result
ing from the evacuation.
Analysis of the internal compo-
sition of the population, however,
shows much less change than was
expected. Except for the aging Of
the whole population due to the
passage of the years, the relative
proportions in the various age
classes have been altered far less
than most people thought was
likely following a major dislooation
such as the evacuation.
For instance, in the accompany
ing chart showing the populations
of 1885 and 1947, the striking fact
appears that if the bars of the
1885 population pyramid are all
moved upward ten years, there re-
suits a graph almost the exact i'm
age of the 1947 pyramid. In other
words, the population contains APP
proximately those percentages in
each age group that would have
been expected had the evacuation
not occurred.
Several interesting implications
are indicated by these findings.
The Nisei over twenty years of
age, both males and females, have
returned to Seattle in relatively
large numbers, contrary to the gen.
eral expectation that high per-
centage was lost due to resettlement
in the Midwest and East. In eff
feet, substantial number of Nisei
of employable and voting age are
now in Seattle who may, In the
not distant future, be expected to
play increasingly important roles
in responsible community func-
lions. At the same time it is clear
that the next decade will produce
additional numbers of Issei VINO
will pass beyond the employable
age, and unless they have indie
pendent means, they will become
dependent upon support from the
Nisei population.
All this bears on the question of
community leadership. Although
the Issei are now smaller per-
centage CT the total population
than before the war, some kind Of
balanced relationship is still main
tanned between the Issei and Nisei
in acting upon common communi-
ty functions. But the crux of the
problem rests in the fact that the
average age of Issei males is now
over sixty years-close inspection
of the 1947 graph will show this
while that of the Nisei is not much
over twenty years. Will the youth
full Nisei become sufficiently well
established and develop adequately
mature interests within the next
few years to cope with any COM
plicated situations which may arise,
for example, in depression years?
Can the transition from the Issei
controls of pre-war years to Nisei
controls of the present and future
be made without serious disrup-
lions in the controls? The signs
indicate that increased, and per-
haps somewhat unusual, RESPONSE
bilities will converge on the Nisei
within the coming decade. 1t
seems pertinent to inquire what
kind of material for community
leadership and the assumption of
personal responsibilities exists in
the assuredly large percentage of
Nisei between the ages of twenty
and forty.