There’s no question that the Nisei generation is extremely cohesive and resilient. Another example of that comes from this article by Susan Gilmore of the Seattle Times: When concerns were raised over whether the government and private donors should fund the maintenance of Seattle’s Nisei Veterans Hall, the Nisei vets banded together and helped raise 2.5 million dollars.
The money was not for maintaining the structure, which the vets bought in 1951 for $1,000 after being denied entrance into the Veterans of Foreign Wars legion, it was for completely remodeling it. The hall holds dance classes, houses parties, offers a place for veterans and their families to socialize, organizes public speaking arrangements and, most importantly, reopens tomorrow.
