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From Asahi to Zebras
Japanese American Baseball in San Jose, California
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From Asahi to Zebras
Japanese American Baseball in San Jose, California

By Ralph M. Pearce
2005, 119 pages, Paperback.
Description
Author's Description From the Preface
Comment From the Back Cover

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Description

The book, From Asahi to Zebras, written by Ralph M. Pearce, chronicles Japanese-American baseball teams that developed in Northern California beginning in the early 1900's.

Baseball at that time enjoyed a great popularity and received much less competition from other sports or forms of entertainment available today. Whether the Issei became acquainted with the game in Japan or after their arrival to the United States, these first-generation Japanese immigrants came to be known for their insatiable love of baseball. This love would push them to organize and supply teams, build ballparks at home and in relocation camps, and transport teams across the Pacific and back. It would also, perhaps unknowingly, narrow gaps between generations and ease acceptance into a foreign culture.

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Author's Description From the Preface

Research for this book began with a series of interviews, most of them conducted between August and December of 1996. During the course of these interviews, I was often asked how I became interested in doing this research, especially as someone outside of the Japanese American community. My journey began back in 1990 when I read a book called The Rise of Japanese Baseball Power, by Robert Obojski. I became fascinated by the long history of Japan's love of the game, the ongoing interaction between the United States and Japan through the game, the colorful players, and the experiences of American players who had journeyed to Japan to play on Japanese teams. As my interest grew, I began publishing a bimonthly newsletter, The Japanese Baseball Enthusiast, in May of 1993. This newsletter focused on Japanese baseball history, cards and memorabilia, and interviews with former players and other "enthusiasts."

On July 31, 1993, I attended the World Children's Baseball Fair at San Diego's Jack Murphy Stadium, an event hosted by Japanese and American homerun champions Sadaharu Oh and Hank Aaron. As I sat in the stands, I passed out free copies of my newsletter to those sitting near me. One fellow, who had been quietly reading the newsletter for a while, turned to me and said, "You know, my grandfather once got a hit off of Victor Starffin of the Tokyo Giants." I was rather surprised and asked when his grandfather had played in Japan. He said his grandfather wasn't in Japan, but had played against the Tokyo Giants in San Jose, California. I was dumbfounded. "The Tokyo Giants played in San Jose?"

The fellow at the stadium was Jeff Hayamizu and his grandfather was Joe Jio. Several weeks later back in San Jose, Jeff would introduce me to his grandfather and I would begin the first of 28 interviews. I feel very honored and grateful that these players and their families have entrusted me with the preservation of the story of baseball in San Jose's Japanese American Community, and I have done my best to share their experiences with you.

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Comment From the Back Cover

From Asahi to Zebras wonderfully presents in microcosm the greatest American pastime. Ralph Pearce has passionately chronicled the San Jose Asahi baseball team, preserving a legacy that is an inspiration to current and future generations.
Kerry Yo Nakagawa - Author, Filmmaker, Historian

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