Yin & Young Episode 66 - Peter Kageyama - Writer

Yin & Young Podcast

Yin & Young the podcast is back with a new episode with writer Peter Kageyama! Peter is a writer whose latest book, 1950s noir thriller “Hunter’s Point” featuring Asian American lead characters, recently became an Amazon bestseller. In this episode we discuss Peter’s background as a Sansei (third generation Japanese American), his work in non-fiction (For the Love of Cities) and fiction, and much more.

Peter’s website: peterkageyama.com

Peter’s non-fiction work: www.fortheloveofcities.com

Highlights:

• Peter shares a bit of historical background about Hunter’s Point, San Francisco.

• Peter grew up in Akron, Ohio, stood out as one of the few (if not only) mixed race kids in the neighborhood.

• Is known for his work on urban development and city planning (For the Love of Cities) and is now writing fiction.

• Father was a Nisei (2nd generation Japanese American) who was interned along with his family during World War 2 in the U.S.

• “Hunter’s Point” was written as a kind of conversation with his father. Father was reserved and did not talk about his time in the camps or in the U.S. military.

• Shig Murao, City Lights bookstore manager in the 1950s, plays an important role in the book and in the real world Beat scene.

• How ones parent’s language is lost with each generation.

• More accepting of his mixed race heritage and how this book helped him reconnect with his Japanese heritage.

• Being Japanese vs being Japanese American.

• How rare/taboo it was to see Asian men marry white women during the 1950s.

• Currently writing a sequel to “Hunter’s Point.”

Book Recommendations:

• Peter recommends: Facing the Mountain (Daniel James Brown) about Japanese internment.

• James recommends No-No Boy (John Okada) about a Japanese American that refused to be drafted into the U.S. military.

Language corner:

• 反抗期 - hankouki: rebellious phase

• 恩 - on: obligation (benevolent)

• 義理 - giri: obligation (social, honorable)

• sussy baka: silly stupid (a term kids use when gaming to describe ridiculous behavior). Combines “suspect” with “baka” (馬鹿) which is Japanese for fool.

• 失敗 - shippai: mistake; darn!

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