Siblings Discover Stunning Journey of Japanese Ancestors Over 130 Years Ago | Ancestry®

From the NBC series "Roots Less Traveled", siblings Jimmie and Katie embark on a family history journey spanning over 130 years and learn the powerful story of their great-grandparents’ WW2 journey. Start searching on Ancestry® today: www.ancestry.co...
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[@AncestryUS]

Jimmie and Katie uncovered an incredible WW2 story about their family history. Now, you can make your own post-WW2 discoveries on Ancestry with the newly released 1950 U.S. census, start searching today: www.ancestry.com/s120424/t45174/rd.ashx

[@dee_dee_place]

This story makes me so angry because my ancestors came to this country to escape 'the camps' & The Hoshikos were herded into 'the USA camps'; & yet Mr. Hoshiko served honorably & courageously in the USA armed forces. Tribal Americans, African Americans, & Japanese Americans... We can NEVER let this happen again, not on USA soil. . In my family, my Great Uncle could not buy land in Massachusetts because he was Hebrew. He gave his money to his bookkeeper who bought the land in her name & then sold it all back to him for $1/lot of land. He gave the first piece of land to her as a gift before they married. He held on to that piece of land after my Great Aunt passed away, & only sold it when he was 85 & could no longer work. The ties that bind... so many of us share likewise stories. We are, one family.

[@Akforgetmenot]

Dee Dee, I am sorry for your anger and the hardship your family suffered. I am of Japanese, Aleut, Irish decent. My Japanese grandfather was interned during the war, leaving my Alaskan Native grandmother to fend for herself and children. Some of her male Children were also sent to internment camps. Two generations later we still don’t know much of our history. I am happy for these two to have some missing pieces.

[@hori166]

I would have gone a step farther and gone back to Japan to find out where their great grandparents were originally from. I did, and it was one of the high points of my life. My grandmother only went back to Japan once, and when she did, she brought back the trunk that she took when she immigrated to Hawaii. It had her name written on it in white paint. Like all immigrants, she left Chiba Prefecture to escape poverty. Japan has an ancestry register system called a "koseki" and Jimmie and Katie can find out more about their roots. My father also used to tell me that we are descendants of samurai which I brushed off, but when I visited my grandmother's home, I was surprised to find out that the house overlooked the valley below, and we had a private shrine on the hill behind the house. The Yamaguchis were lucky in that their property was not seized without compensation like many other Japanese Americans. I wonder if Jimmie and Katie are related to skater Kristy Yamaguchi. They sure look alike.

[@adlihloetz7162]

Maybe they could only get the info of when they were in the US. I'm not sure but I'd think you'd have to have a license to access international files.

[@hori166]

@@adlihloetz7162 They would have to go to their grandparent's hometown where the records are kept and would have to prove they are related. Many transactions in Japan have to be done in person, unless you are buying something online. It's still very much a feudal society.

[@rajs7876]

Yamaguchi is not an uncommon name but never know lol

[@yo2trader539]

@@hori166 Right, like it should be on line for everybody to see.

[@ikiruzen9868]

I am planning on doing just that, to take my father who is in his mid 80's back to Okinawa where his father was from. Unfortunatley my mom's illness and subsequent death put those plans on hold. Now time is running out but he doesn't have the desire as he once had. I know he misses his wife of over 50 yrs. and I miss het too. But even tho he may not have the desire to go anymore some of us siblings may still go as soon as Japan opens up to tourism with out the 3-7 day quarantine. I love to share my family history with people I meet and by using the Ancestry website helps me keep things documented for future generations. I encourage everyone to start talking and documenting stories and oral histories of their families before it's gone forever so others family members could have access. Ancestry is just one of many websites that can do just that. What are you waiting for..? Life is short!

[@imaginelovepeaceandhappine3281]

This was a great story The camps the American Japanese were sent to were a disgrace. I’m glad they were able to see the information on their ancestors.

[@analyticalmindset]

That's America for you .

[@AnthonyP73]

And let us hope that such a disgrace is NEVER repeated in the English speaking world, no matter who might be the target du jour. Otherwise all these people are dishonoured.

[@analyticalmindset]

@@AnthonyP73 it unfortunately will

[@buggyman286]

I wonder how americans living in japan were treated during that time?

[@analyticalmindset]

@@buggyman286 lol

[@arpa-liaison261]

I (a Japanese living in Japan) have never heard of Hoshiko as a family name. So I checked up the list of all Japanese family names. It turned out to be only 1690 families with that name in Japan. The siblings may have a rather easy task finding their relatives if they want to. By the way, Hoshi means a star/stars. Ko means a child/children. Hence Hoshiko means children of stars. Hope they will read this comment.

[@julespumachu]

Thank you for sharing this. What a beautiful surname.✨ I hope they see this, too. I believe it's likely. If I was one of the subjects of these stories, I would return to check comments.

[@marypetrosky5536]

I'm half Japanese and half European American. I am very happy and proud to be who I am. I don't blame anybody or any situation for what happen in the past. History is hard for a lot of people including European immigrants in this country.

[@normanhayashi]

During the 1800s and early 1900s, records can be easily falsified depending on where you are in the world. It took me many years to find out my actual heritage since many DNA testing companies don't do deep dive analysis and can sometimes be biased based on your birth country and what ethnicity your parents identify as. I found out that according to photo evidence and accounts written in books published between 1902 and 1987 that my great-grandmother was half-Japanese and half-Mongolian based in Xinjiang, China. Her parents met in Tokyo between 1906-1908 and her father brought her mother back to Xinjiang but changed her nationality on record as Mongolian from a different tribe to avoid discrimination during the Sino-Japanese war. Eventually either she or her family had faked her death and changed her identity so that she can move around China and eventually ended up in Malaysia in the late 50s under a Chinese name. As I did my DNA test I found out that from haplogroup and SNP breakdown (which many major DNA testing companies don't show), I had a pretty high Mongolian percentage followed by Japanese. And my Mongolian DNA showed specific haplogroups that are unique to the Oirat tribes in Kalmykia, Western Mongolia and Xinjiang. Almost all my relatives are polyglots with the capability of speaking at least 3 languages which I learn started from my Mongolian great-great grandfather and was passed onto his four children which includes my great-grandmother. It may sound like I'm making up my own ancestry story but fortunately my 3rd half uncle from the same Mongolian line had made his family tree published online before his passing. The photos and the story confirmed that my great-grandmother had come from that same family tree with similar stories about the falsified records that has been going around our family during that time.

[@sabrina.natalie]

Wow! That’s pretty intriguing. How were you able to get a SNP breakdown?

[@englishrose4388]

I wish it had been included whether their great grandparents’ friend actually returned the farm or not. It should be more widely known how few were returned.

[@kngston20]

They likely stole it or sold it back to them for a high amount.

[@KarlDahlquist]

@@kngston20 Yes they returned to the farm, and their children expanded it. read the oral history.

[@nkwari]

@@KarlDahlquist Wow that it is great!!

[@anonymous_lagotto]

A pop

[@9301983]

This is one of the most beautiful parks I've ever been in

[@Rod-bp8ow]

From generation to generation, a lineage shall never be forgotten and identified for the efforts and determination.

[@Isinforblood]

They are just handsome siblings tho, and I really love the history between their relatives that lived in Japan and their great grandparents who went through a lot during ww1 and stuff R.I.P sadly :(

[@patriciawarner9680]

WWII

[@courtneyholland6215]

This absolutely emotional so beautiful thank you for sharing your story

[@Lupelu831]

Even tough guys get teary. 😢

[@julespumachu]

That means the tough guys are adults and have beautiful hearts. All the best to 831.😊

[@sanebooks]

This was wonderful. And it also made me cry. Really pulled at my hartstrings.

[@l.w9517]

This was so powerful, and so beautiful. Thank you for sharing this with the world.

[@rolandocastaneda4429]

Kristy has always had a special place in my heart as a figure skater and now through my interactions with the Japanese community in my life.

[@charismalyn]

I appreciate seeing these stories.

[@AncestryUS]

Great to hear! What is one of your favorites?

[@la381]

It is really unbelievable that even after the 120K Japanese AMERICANS were locked up for years, most of them still decided to remain in the US after their release. I don't know if I could have stayed in a country where I was suspected of disloyalty only because of my ancestry.

[@ericsohn5084]

Japan mainland meanwhile was bombed and nuked, I'd rather stay lol

[@comealongcomealong4480]

@L A I think there would be a complex set of reasons why most Japanese stayed on after the war. Commenter @Chevalier de Balibari talked about his ancestors fleeing poverty in Chiba Prefecture. So if they'd assessed they'd likely have a more prosperous life in the USA, with more opportunities, then that's a really strong and pragmatic reason to stay. Plus, they'd invested money in the ship passage. Plus, they may have formed "communities" in those internment camps (Kansas in this case). I wouldn't be surprised if, after being released, there was intermarriage between families and joint business ventures. Also, there may have been understanding that the prejudices of a national US government can be different to the everyday mix of Americans they lived amongst. As in - the American who established a company to buy their land, and who then was caretaker during their internment. The trust and acceptance in that relationship would have spoken volumes. It still happens today. Shared interest in agriculture can be a great leveller ! I know of a grape growing region with 50% Italian descendants. A more recent migrant group of Sikh Indians has purchased land to farm capsicums, garlic, avocados etc. They have been encouraged to turn land to grape growing, and thus expand supply for the established generational Italian winemakers. It's a great story of human adaptation!

[@bobbyfan418]

He died 13 days after she did. Sad, but befitting of two people who spent so much time together.

[@unclefatbloke687]

It breaks my heart every time when I see lifelong partners dying so shortly after their mate passes, as we see on the gravestone, with Torata passing just 13 days after Harumi died!

[@Jon.A.Scholt]

It was the same with my grandma and granddaddy (he's always went by granddaddy and not grandpa). My grandma passed away first in May 2000 and granddaddy passed I believe less than three weeks later. My grandma had been in hospice care and granddaddy wasn't in great shape but it wasn't as bad. There were both almost 90 and had been married over 60 years. Though I have no scientific data or research to back it up I think in that situation a person could "will" themselve to pass away. I don't think he necessarily lost a will to live only that he yearned to be with his wife again.

[@fingmoron]

@@Jon.A.Scholt Dogs can die from loneliness after their owners die. I'm sure a more complex version happens in humans.

[@justinw8512]

I would love to do this and learn about my families history more. Japanese gardens are so beautiful

[@hannelerantanen760]

Beautiful, My mom is from Fresno and dad from Finland It's nice to see what kinds of people were living there in fresno's community at the time. Also lovely story very sentimental.

[@yasashii89]

Those have to be the most japanese looking half whites I've ever seen and I'm mixed Japanese myself.

[@bridgetleverett7800]

I worked for a dentist several years ago in Honolulu, who was a part of the 442.

[@stephanieyee9784]

This was a lovely heart-warming story. As a Chinese Australian I understand their story.

[@Gabialoha1]

It’s these stories that connect us and inspire the world to be a better place. ❤️❤️❤️

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Gabrielle, thanks for watching. We are happy to see that you enjoy the show!

[@cinthiaharue1871]

How beautiful history!!! Must be very interesting to know more information about your roots... I'm the third generation born in Brazil, I jus know that my great grandparents from my both sides came from Japan ( hokkaido, but nobody knows which place exactly from hokkaido) to Brazil around 1932... it must be very exciting to know more information about our roots... Congratulations for this channel...

[@pearljoslyn9947]

You may be able to gather enough information to request your family koseki (registry) in Japan. I'm working on getting everything together for mine. There's a man named Mrtinus Wolf who does classes teaching how to request them

[@melzer1377]

I heard there's a lot of descendants of Japanese in Brazil. Just curious if the latter generations can still understand a little Japanese or it's just Portuguese all the way now?

[@Kat-zi2tb]

Why so many Japanese in Brazil

[@yo2trader539]

I would recommend gathering all the information you have, and then contact your local Japanese Embassy/Consulate. You may know we provide preferential visa treatments for those with Japanese ancestry. In other words, we have ways to know your Japanese roots. Or more accurately, we have records of all 1st generation Japanese emigrants (and their children if they filed the proper paper work with the Japanese Embassy/Consulate). That's actually why former President of Peru still had Japanese citizenship.

[@ladydeerheart1]

That ceremony was just beautiful.

[@angelamaria2239]

Beautiful touching story!!!!

[@StradaleF430]

Great feature. Thank you.

[@verolly31]

Beautiful story!

[@jadasakurawatches]

This is the best video you've ever posted I think 🌸💗

[@AncestryUS]

We're glad you think so! We hope to continue sharing these powerful stories 😁

[@jadasakurawatches]

@@AncestryUS I can't wait! I'm getting my results in early May it's estimated, and I've always been told I'm Japanese and Puerto Rican on my mom's side 🌸🌺

[@thargyi85]

She is stunning!

[@bonejo4]

Similar story of my mom and grand parents Tsuji /Asakawa’s who pioneered Fremont Ca. at the turn of the century, they had a cherry farm but when the war started they were sent to the camps. My dad Toshio Mori fought in the 442nd and received Purple Heart. So many emotions and history, god bless.

[@comealongcomealong4480]

@bonejo4 The commenter @Chevalier de Balibari writes about "poverty in Chiba Prefecture", Japan, causing immigrants to leave for the USA. Very interesting migrant history to learn more about right there 👍

[@ambc8970]

I find it very very strange that those 2 never heard about their great grand parents and their history. As the descendent of Lebanese immigrants I was taught at a very age about the history of my ancestors. I even had the privilege of knowing my great grand mother .

[@blessedwoman4825]

Did they get their farm back?

[@netraflo]

I was wondering that too. Probably not smh

[@Swanselm]

Probably not, America sucks like that

[@marjoriejohnson6535]

Sounds like the story of my uncle ,John Katsu. A lovely man.

[@MiRae67]

What a great story despite the camps ofcourse. ❤️🙏🏼 I would like to know what happened to their farm after the war

[@julespumachu]

In the comments, someone said the family was able to return to their farm an expand it. That would be wonderful, as so many lost so very much.

[@briezzy365]

It is a beautiful story, but what we did to Japanese Americans, even decorated veterans, is such a tragedy.

[@terekacarter3927]

Must be nice to be proud of how your family members came to America..

[@bluebird3042]

I get so emotional when I see their graves 😢

[@finlay1702]

Great story but please stop using poor remini edits to improve their face. Original photos are just fine

[@darlenefarmer5921]

A wonderful story!

[@sugarspiceandeverythingnic4803]

They died within days of each other! 😢😭😭

[@志瑜杨]

Great story. I wish that was possible for me.

[@roncaron8939]

DID THE FAMILY GET THE FARM BACK, AFTER THE WAR ???

[@tlahuilivargas996]

Yes. They only had grapes. Grave vines survive anything. Grapes if Wrath. That came to mind. But they had a trusted family friend who had title to the company they created because they couldn't own their own land. That friend kept the farm going for them.

[@tlahuilivargas996]

But most Japanese Returning home lost everything. This town I am in was midpoint to San Jose Japanese community who were relocated up towards Yosemite. N they went home n had nothing there people living in their homes n refusing to leave n business taken over. So they return this way n started to build a life here. There was nothing here. N they would bring mud from the edge of the River n plow the farm land that way n bring water frim that river too. A lady in town was one of their Descendants n they eventually built a store n that building is still standing n they own it til recent n have now sold it to someone else. But all the older generation remember that family.

[@tlahuilivargas996]

I used to live in San Jo near JapanTown Area. Lovely place

[@terrenceescarda8951]

I hope I can learn about my ancestry too.

[@ShadowPuppet3001]

great video, I like ancestry dna 😀, never know what your going to find, am proud of my Ancestry and where I come from...

[@terrythomas2735]

I want to know did they get the orchard back after the war

[@Spartan265]

Being from Visalia it's kinda weird to see Fresno on here since it's only about 30 minuets away. Fresno totally sucks though so don't get the wrong idea from this video haha.

[@charsafrazier9953]

Did their ancestor have any previous children before meeting their grandmother due to the huge age gap?

[@shaunsteele8244]

130 years isn't that long ago genealogically speaking... it's only like 3 or 4 generations

[@karinadelatorre4110]

Born and Raised in Fresno, California

[@mchernandez5850]

With respect to all cultures. How extraordinary to be able to view your Japanese grandparents on their land. I immediately understood when you stated you are half Japanese. However, I'm sincerely bewildered when you identify as, "and, half white". What does being, "white" mean?

[@mayorjoshua]

They may not know what ethnicity(ies) their mother's family may be. Her mother's family may have been here long enough to assimilate into the mainstream Anglo-American culture (the "white people" that most people in the US generally mean).

[@pearljoslyn9947]

I can help answer that as someone who's part Japanese and Korean and part white. Other than my grandpa who came from the Netherlands in the 1950's, all of my non-East Asian relatives have been in the US for hundreds of years. I have virtually no cultural ties to those ethnicities and would barely know what they were if my family didn't do an ancestry test, so I use the term white when asked, as would the majority of white Americans

[@tlahuilivargas996]

There's no such thing as bring White Culture or Ethnic . Lots of people are Caucasian White or White looking n come from All over Europe n or the World at this point. What most people in USA mean they Are American n they are Erroneously Labeling Being American as Being White or white looking White Skin Blond hair n Blue or Green eye color. Being American Is an Indigenous Person. Not A tone of skin or Eye or Hair color. Indigenous Inhabitants are American Since their Ancestry lines are Thousands of years back before 1492 n Invasion Colonization Genocide n Oppression. European also came here in many shades eye color n hair color. U have not only blond hair U may have Red or Honey or Black.. All sorts of hsir color n all gradiants of skin colors. N eye color. That depends on your Mate n your Ressesive genes Im An Indigenous person. My Children all are Indigenous we mixed not by Choice with foreigners but Our Bloodline n our Ancestry line Still Indigenous to the Americas n Two Continents of People. We are American n do are the Rest if the People from Mexico n Central n South America. Indigenous to this Lands. One People with a Common Ancestors. I don't put all my eggs into the basket if Crossed the Bering Straigh. The New Evidence has stablished that We were A landmass close to the south n then moved north n Away. Then many millions yrs later Pangea.. N more years n more continental movement. So there is a theory that South America had Navigation by Sea to Asia n Asia to South America.. N That South America Indigenous People didn't come from North but were always there. Movement went up to North America after Ice age had change land n They would be able to travel. .before that most migration was minimum but Ancestors civilizations were already present.

[@anushkachakraborty735]

they obviously don't know their european ancestry, which is the case for many white americans

[@Vampybattie]

@@anushkachakraborty735 American white are just too mixed between different ethnicity from Europe tbh

[@saundracole1010]

Beautiful story

[@moederkoekjes3380]

That Grandma is 102 damn

[@mikezan9645]

If you look at the grave stones, she was 87 at the time of her death and he was 93.

[@comealongcomealong4480]

@@mikezan9645 Still noticeably long lives though. For people who worked hard outdoors. 👏

[@i.h.7268]

How did the grandparents pass? Did they get their land back?

[@prettynerd4779]

So what happened to their 40 acres? because they can fight for it legally

[@dillkilltv3942]

Fresno!!!

[@tizmon]

“I’m half Japanese and half white.” I’m sure it’s her white side that made her mix race and nationalities.

[@Pgd10020]

What a great host

[@kevinhoward9593]

They died only a few weeks apart. Thats sad. Must have had a Broken Heart

[@techwithkenrobertson7439]

I need help with understanding my info

[@julespumachu]

Hey Tech, is that a typo? Did you mean you needed help looking your people up?

[@techwithkenrobertson7439]

@@julespumachu yeah

[@aaleyahsanez2552]

The sister has the strongest Japanese genes she's so pretty

[@samramdani258]

Lol, Faruq from MLG... "Lock it up!"

[@user-xv4he4mt4x]

So much reality show formula and setups. You need a new director for this "show"

[@tlyoung1420]

Most people don't realize that during WWII America had camps for Japanese, Italian and German non-citizens. I had a great-aunt that was forced into one in Oklahoma for the duration of the war. America has issued formal apologies to the Japanese and Italian citizens who were held in these camps. The Germans who were in the camps didn't get any acknowledgements.

[@milehightv6077]

It’s true that German and Italian non-citizens were incarcerated too, but you have to remember that 2/3 of the Japanese prisoners were actually US citizens - for Japanese-Americans, it was mostly about race. German and Italian Americans were only imprisoned if they weren’t citizens (which is still outrageous in my opinion)

[@RollerBladingSuxs]

So did this documentary just say that their grandfather was the enemy or what? I'm trying to understand.

[@k.4th1een]

ooo i liked this

[@carlajohnson36]

❤️❤️

[@raymondteo2611]

So American

[@sidimightbe]

Wow who could have guessed! Lmao

[@savageaf1943]

we almost war our time in this earth sadddd

[@richardcarroll9864]

why didnt you mention the names of the americans who helped the family (1) buy the farm and (2) took care of the farm while they were incarcerated??

[@comealongcomealong4480]

@richard carroll What the American person/s did was technically illegal at that time (1930s). Perhaps they preferred not to have their family history in the public sphere ?

[@richardcarroll9864]

@@comealongcomealong4480 oh please, the reason they didnt mention the families was because they were white and they helped the japanese keep their farms. That would have gone against the liberal agenda.

[@loyaluwang4228]

Hey I know that guy he's from battle bots

[@tlahuilivargas996]

😢

[@yenhoriguchi1728]

No more war

[@LisaH911]

They can't get the farm back??

[@solaris5922]

No

[@kittyhuang295]

American consideration camp

[@rridderbusch518]

You meant concentration camp. We still have them in 2022.

[@shayna.6928]

@@rridderbusch518 don't be hatred dude

[@ehjo4904]

Half japanese and Half White ? Half European ! White are also not native

[@saraha2100]

I think she meant for white American, considering some American cannot exactly pinpoint where their ancestors really came from or sometimes it's mixed of multiple European ethnicity. I've noticed most people who exactly know where their ancestors came from will say like : half Japanese and half German, instead of half Japanese and half White even if they are American.

[@buzzlightyear3715]

FL kept the Alien Land Law, prevented or make it hard for Japanese and other Asian from owning lands, on the book until 2018. DeSantis re-introduce anti-Chinese bill on July 2023.

[@YellowMonkeyVirus]

so japan mom key fought japan mom key in WWII

[@dartagnan9094]

They're barely Japanese. Culturally, looks, and probably religion too. All americanized.

[@Nanami-Kento-7-3]

A.K.A ZILONG

[@NilfgardianNationalist]

WYSI

[@codyallen9486]

Another example of democrats taking from minorities based on race. Korematsu v United States.

[@jesuslovesyou1643]

God bless you all , Jesus loves you all only he can save u repent and turn from your sins and accept jesus as Lord and saviour and you will be saved. He is the only way to eternal life in heaven once you pass away its too late . ❤✝️🙌 ..

[@akivarubinstein9648]

Relocated no, sent to concentration camps.

[@comealongcomealong4480]

@Akiva Rubinstein Probably more like a prison farm. Yes, they were deprived of their homes, possessions and businesses. Yes, they lost their freedom of movement, speech and association. But they were not beaten, starved or murdered. They would have tended gardens, cooked meals, and invented their own entertainment. I am guessing that babies would have been born during those internment years (but have not read the history to be certain).

[@earlysda]

Great story until the false god got in the way.

[@headdragondavidaustinsimmo4025]

Pima mole left side spine Pima west coast America Ying dynasty Chinese president Ying Pima man king

[@bendover4668]

As European that has detailed family history for 26 generations it seems so normal to know family history to me. I often joke about how my ancestor in the 1600s died form a horse kick.

[@xander_k_]

No one cares.

[@MM-bd1ik]

Poor horse guy 🥲!

[@bendover4668]

@@xander_k_ why did you comment? Seriously, just to spread negativity?

[@Dnttou0497]

@@bendover4668 - Xander obviously cares a lot, that's why he commented.

[@Heresheis0818]

I don’t even want to trace back my ancestors as I am pretty sure that they must be the villains coz I inherit that kind of character from them🫰🏻🥹