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#heyjohnkelly #DearJohnKelly @CleverTitleTK @pronounced_ing This is part of the home village of one of my grandparents in Japan. Both sets of grandparents came to the US knowing little to no English over 100 years ago. 1/7 
One set of grandparents met in the Philippines where my grandfather worked for the US Army Quartermaster as a cook. He learned some English and came to the US. 2/7
They worked with George Shima (look that up for immigrant success stories) growing potatoes in the Sacramento River Delta. Those grandparents eventually started a nursery in Sawtelle (near LA) before losing everything in the Great Depression. 3/7
The other set of grandparents worked the fruit orchards of Northern California. Both my grandmothers died by 1930. My grandfathers were incarcerated in WRA camps during the WWII for no other reason than the color of their skin and the shape of their eyes. 4/7
My parents farmed and ran a business 35 years. My sibs and I spoke Japanese as little kids. We all went to college. I graduated with a double major as an undergrad, got a MA and had a 30+ year career as a professional. 5/7
My child works in the technology industry and probably helped to design some of the chips in the computer that you use to surf the web or type your email. 6/7
The "assimulation" that you spoke about didn't happen in one generation a century or two ago. Even how it doesn't typically happen in one generation. But immigrants come for a better life and, usually, their children find it. 7/7
@threadreaderapp unroll please
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