The Immortal Life of Nami Sasaki
From Japan to Oregon to a Relocation Camp and back home again
Nami Sasaki’s in-laws had emigrated from Japan and in 1914 bought a 100-acre hops farm south of Tualatin. By 1939, Nami and husband Ajiro (Art) took over managing the farm and grew mostly berries. During WW2, the family was forced to move to an Idaho relocation camp, along with other West Coast Japanese-Americans. Fortunately, friends cared for their farm so the Sasakis could return to it after the war. Nami didn’t talk much later about the relocation experience, except to say “We made the best of the situation”. Nami always instructed her children to excel in school: “Write neatly, don’t scribble!” and “Be a good student because you’re going to stand out”. She also encouraged them in after-school activities such as Camp Fire Girls, Boy Scouts and sports. In their berry fields each summer, Nami hired and managed over 150 young pickers with guidelines such as: “Don’t step over a row! And never ever throw berries!” despite strict rules, the pickers were treated to a hot dog and ice cream party at season’s end. Yvonne Addington remembers “Nami taught me how to work my first job in the strawberry fields. “‘Keep your head down and work hard’ was good advice through life!” Nami passed away just a few years ago. Her surviving children Art Sasaki and Joyce Olsen still live in the area and are Tualatin Historical Society members.
