Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2016) Winner
Barbara Oyama Kawakami
バーバラ・オヤマ・カワカミ
Barbara Oyama Kawakami
Aliases:
Fusako Oyama
Pen Names:
Fusako Oyama（birth name）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1921-08-24 （Kumamoto, Japan）
- Died
- 2024-12-20 （Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.） age 103
- Nationality
- Japan, United States
- Languages
- Japanese, English
- Residence History
- Waipahu (Oahu), Hawaii, U.S. → Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- scholar, author, storyteller, dressmaker
- Active Years
- 1940-2024
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Educational Development (GED) | — | — | GED | — | United States |
| — | — | Fashion Design and Merchandising | BS | — | United States |
| — | — | Asian Studies | MA | — | United States |
General Educational Development (GED)
Degree:
GED
Country:
United States
Earned later in life; enabled entry to college
—
Fashion Design and Merchandising
Degree:
BS
Country:
United States
One of the degrees she earned after entering college at age 53
—
Asian Studies
Degree:
MA
Country:
United States
Master's degree pursued to deepen research on immigrant history and clothing
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Japanese Immigrant Clothing in Hawaii 1885–1941
1993 Non-fiction / research / museum catalogA research work documenting and analyzing clothing worn by Japanese immigrants (Issei) in Hawaii, examining the relationship between plantation life and dress. Includes many artifacts and photographs.
immigrant lifeclothing and identitycolonial plantation labor
Picture Bride Stories
2017 Essay / oral historiesA collection of experiences and memories of women who immigrated as 'picture brides'—marriages arranged via photographs—compiled from oral histories and personal collections.
women and immigrationmemory transmissionfamily and labor
Bibliography
- Japanese Immigrant Clothing in Hawaii 1885–1941 (1993)
- Picture Bride Stories (2017)
Adaptations
- Consultant/researcher for the film 'Picture Bride'
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- oral-history oriented narrationethnographic and archival approachplain and evidence-focused prose
- Recurring Motifs
- clothing and memory of immigrantswomen's work and daily lifeplantation culture
Legacy
Barbara Kawakami diligently documented and preserved clothing and life culture of Japanese immigrants in Hawaii. She built a significant collection of Issei clothing and established its museum and research value, contributing importantly to regional, labor, and Japanese immigrant history.
Museums
- Japanese American National Museum (Barbara Kawakami Collection) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Opened in 1992
Archives
- Barbara Kawakami Collection - Japanese American National Museum (digital access available)
In Popular Culture
- Provided research and consultation for the film 'Picture Bride' (1994)
Trivia
- Born in Kumamoto in 1921 and emigrated to Hawaii with her family at 3 months old.
- Worked for decades as a dressmaker, later earned a GED and entered college at age 53.
- Her collection of Issei clothing is regarded as one of the most significant of its kind.
- Published 'Picture Bride Stories' in 2017.
- Died in December 2024 at age 103.