Doctor Bob, I have a story for you that I got interested in several years ago, when my life fell apart and so I had to concentrate on other things and it was left nnot quite on the cutting room floor, but the connections I had made disappeared as time went forward. I found my initial story in an Iowa City Newspaper over an attempt to deport a Iowa City high school graduate, Thomas Wuriu, to Japan! This was shortly before WWII, and the local Democratic Senator Gillette went to bat for the boy and got him permenate residence status as a non-citizen through a billwritten specifically for him! Gillette was aware of the situation,as his mother contacted Gillette about the situation when he was a US Representative and had gottenimmigration to pidgeon hole the deportation for a number of years. Wuriu was born in France, his mother, a trained dancer who was born in Iowa, had to leave home of hard core "No dancing" Methodists and travel to Chicago Art Institute to learn dance and in the end obtained a job in Paris, France. She left the US for Paris and was sucessful, but as time went forward she attached herself toa wealthy Japanese dance and they had a relationship. As a result, Thomas was born. The father let his parents know that they wanted to marry, their response was negative and they threatened tocut him off if he proceeded, secondlt they toldhimto comehome immeditely which he did, and never returned! With no means of support and with the baby born, she headed back to the states. She managed toget to Iowa City with the child, but immigration was in hot persuit because of the "Oriental exclusion Act" Which brings us back to Gillette's first encounter with Thomas Wuriu. Thomas graduated from teh School of Journalism frim the University of Iowa, and was drafted into the war and became a reporter for the "Stars and Stripes", When the war ended he went to work forthe "Army Times" and became the managing editor for a string of nespapers owned by the company that printed teh Army times in Virginia. He retired to California with his wife and daughter. I managed to find the daughter and contacted her, she had never heard this story and her mother only the slimest of details.Unfortunately Thomas had died in 1999. Over seventy years ago this was the case, and now with Trump, we are going right back to it. Part of the reason I am investing in the Latino Project in Monticello, to stop this once and for all!
Thanks Steve, for posting this story about my dad and his family. I remember you contacting me years ago about about this effort to deport my dad. Now there are quite a few newspaper stories available online about it, but when you were doing your research, there weren't any online. Thanks again for filling in some of the gaps in my dad's history. And yes, we're starting to see the same thing happening again, just different targets.
I'm sorry I stopped when I was just getting started contacting you, your Dad was incredible. It all started with a newspaper story that I quite by accident came across in an old newspaper in Iowa City about the time your dad was graduating from High School in Iowa City. Guy Gillette was one of the Senators for Iowa and a Democrat when Democrats were truly Roosevelt Democrats! He had been the congressman when your grandmother contacted him earlier and got those who were after him to pidgeon hole his case,myguess is they thought eventually they would get the job done, just later! Unfortunately Gillette came backlike a bad penny and got the Senate to give him permanent legal status inspite of the dubious Oriental Exclusion Act. Your father's career after that was amazing and you should be very proud of him! Everybody that I found who had known your Dad, knew nothing about his immigation problems and had the highest regard for him. To hear from you again is the magic of the internet and computers! It was my pleasure being able to tell you Dad's story, it was a remarkable one that needed telling especially at this point in time!
Apparently his daughter, Lisa, probably has more than I can offer, I originally found Lisa simply with a search of her last name Wuriu and found her through an animal shelter where she had made a donation in the name of her late pet. I contacted the shelter and told them what I was doing and to see if they would contact Lisa and let her know what I was doing, I struck gold! and Lisa contacted me! My notes are long gone, I moved after over 20 years in a house in Cedar Rapids nearly 10 years ago, and there are plenty of things I have yet to find! Yes, I wrote the first thing about this, but never got it published. Somehow the story eventually got out, which I am glad of, because it is very important, especially now!
Side note: on my radio segment “Blue Thoughts from a Red State” this past Wednesday, broadcast on KSVY 91.3 FM community public radio in Sonoma, California; I was afforded the opportunity to talk about this ‘Collaborative’, and the important role it plays in bringing a voice to Iowans. Julie and the other members are so rightly passionate about the potential of this concept spreading throughout the country. Each of us has our voice and we need it shared with others. I’ll be doing a show the third Wednesday each month. Please send suggestions for future episodes. Let’s work together is more than a past song by Canned Heat!
Julie, I’m trying to work out sleeping accommodations to attend the retreat you’re having in Okoboji. I’ve lost specifics about everything involved. Please point me to the details?
Thank you for sending me the information on OWR, Robert. Hope it’s alright to call you Robert. I’m a neophyte and unfamiliar with a retreat of this type. Especially, with such a daunting assembly of talented individuals.
A wonderfully informative, intelligent and engaging discussion this afternoon! Hopefully, this will be a regularly scheduled event, with a rotation of the “men and women of letters and music” who are the Iowa Writers Collaborative!
Doctor Bob, I have a story for you that I got interested in several years ago, when my life fell apart and so I had to concentrate on other things and it was left nnot quite on the cutting room floor, but the connections I had made disappeared as time went forward. I found my initial story in an Iowa City Newspaper over an attempt to deport a Iowa City high school graduate, Thomas Wuriu, to Japan! This was shortly before WWII, and the local Democratic Senator Gillette went to bat for the boy and got him permenate residence status as a non-citizen through a billwritten specifically for him! Gillette was aware of the situation,as his mother contacted Gillette about the situation when he was a US Representative and had gottenimmigration to pidgeon hole the deportation for a number of years. Wuriu was born in France, his mother, a trained dancer who was born in Iowa, had to leave home of hard core "No dancing" Methodists and travel to Chicago Art Institute to learn dance and in the end obtained a job in Paris, France. She left the US for Paris and was sucessful, but as time went forward she attached herself toa wealthy Japanese dance and they had a relationship. As a result, Thomas was born. The father let his parents know that they wanted to marry, their response was negative and they threatened tocut him off if he proceeded, secondlt they toldhimto comehome immeditely which he did, and never returned! With no means of support and with the baby born, she headed back to the states. She managed toget to Iowa City with the child, but immigration was in hot persuit because of the "Oriental exclusion Act" Which brings us back to Gillette's first encounter with Thomas Wuriu. Thomas graduated from teh School of Journalism frim the University of Iowa, and was drafted into the war and became a reporter for the "Stars and Stripes", When the war ended he went to work forthe "Army Times" and became the managing editor for a string of nespapers owned by the company that printed teh Army times in Virginia. He retired to California with his wife and daughter. I managed to find the daughter and contacted her, she had never heard this story and her mother only the slimest of details.Unfortunately Thomas had died in 1999. Over seventy years ago this was the case, and now with Trump, we are going right back to it. Part of the reason I am investing in the Latino Project in Monticello, to stop this once and for all!
Thanks Steve, for posting this story about my dad and his family. I remember you contacting me years ago about about this effort to deport my dad. Now there are quite a few newspaper stories available online about it, but when you were doing your research, there weren't any online. Thanks again for filling in some of the gaps in my dad's history. And yes, we're starting to see the same thing happening again, just different targets.
I'm sorry I stopped when I was just getting started contacting you, your Dad was incredible. It all started with a newspaper story that I quite by accident came across in an old newspaper in Iowa City about the time your dad was graduating from High School in Iowa City. Guy Gillette was one of the Senators for Iowa and a Democrat when Democrats were truly Roosevelt Democrats! He had been the congressman when your grandmother contacted him earlier and got those who were after him to pidgeon hole his case,myguess is they thought eventually they would get the job done, just later! Unfortunately Gillette came backlike a bad penny and got the Senate to give him permanent legal status inspite of the dubious Oriental Exclusion Act. Your father's career after that was amazing and you should be very proud of him! Everybody that I found who had known your Dad, knew nothing about his immigation problems and had the highest regard for him. To hear from you again is the magic of the internet and computers! It was my pleasure being able to tell you Dad's story, it was a remarkable one that needed telling especially at this point in time!
Incredible story. And you wrote the first one? Do you know of any other documentation?
Apparently his daughter, Lisa, probably has more than I can offer, I originally found Lisa simply with a search of her last name Wuriu and found her through an animal shelter where she had made a donation in the name of her late pet. I contacted the shelter and told them what I was doing and to see if they would contact Lisa and let her know what I was doing, I struck gold! and Lisa contacted me! My notes are long gone, I moved after over 20 years in a house in Cedar Rapids nearly 10 years ago, and there are plenty of things I have yet to find! Yes, I wrote the first thing about this, but never got it published. Somehow the story eventually got out, which I am glad of, because it is very important, especially now!
Side note: on my radio segment “Blue Thoughts from a Red State” this past Wednesday, broadcast on KSVY 91.3 FM community public radio in Sonoma, California; I was afforded the opportunity to talk about this ‘Collaborative’, and the important role it plays in bringing a voice to Iowans. Julie and the other members are so rightly passionate about the potential of this concept spreading throughout the country. Each of us has our voice and we need it shared with others. I’ll be doing a show the third Wednesday each month. Please send suggestions for future episodes. Let’s work together is more than a past song by Canned Heat!
Julie, I’m trying to work out sleeping accommodations to attend the retreat you’re having in Okoboji. I’ve lost specifics about everything involved. Please point me to the details?
https://okobojiwritersretreat.com/
Thank you for sending me the information on OWR, Robert. Hope it’s alright to call you Robert. I’m a neophyte and unfamiliar with a retreat of this type. Especially, with such a daunting assembly of talented individuals.
Robert or Bob is fine.
A wonderfully informative, intelligent and engaging discussion this afternoon! Hopefully, this will be a regularly scheduled event, with a rotation of the “men and women of letters and music” who are the Iowa Writers Collaborative!
Love it Dr Bob! And you are definitely the Forrest Gump of Iowa