A Studio Portrait of the Kawata Family

A Studio Portrait of the Kawata Family

Description

Title Proper A Studio Portrait of the Kawata Family
Date(s) of material from this resource digitized 1938
General material designation
From this item, LOI has digitized a textual record.
Scope and content
This image consists of five members of the Kawata family, both seated and standing. From left to right are: Sowa Kawata, Kinshiro Kawata, Itoko Kawata, Yoshitoshi Kawata, and Akio Kawata is on Kinshiro's lap. Sowa is wearing a dark button dress and is standing on the left edge. Kinshiro is wearing a dark suit with a white collared shirt and tie. He is seated, and holding Akio on his lap. Itoko is standing to the right of Kinshiro and is wearing a dark, floral print dress. Standing on the right edge in a three piece pinstripe suit with a pocket watch and tie is Yoshitoshi, which his hands clasped behind his back.
Name of creator
Fumiko Kawata was born in 1938 in Cumberland BC to parents Itoko and Yoshitoshi Kawata. Yoshitoshi's parents were Sowa & Kinshiro Kawata from Ehime prefecture. Kinshiro came to Canada as a farm labourer on the Empress of Russia Dec 19, 1922, his nearest relative at that time was Tomi Kawata of Yanazaki Mura, Nishiwa gori, Ehime Ken, Japan. Itoko and Yoshitoshi were born in Japan and remained Japanese Nationals.
Immediate source of acquisition
The digital copies of the records were acquired by the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective between 2014 and 2018.
This record was digitized in full.

Metadata

Title

A Studio Portrait of the Kawata Family
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Terminology

Readers of these historical materials will encounter derogatory references to Japanese Canadians and euphemisms used to obscure the intent and impacts of the internment and dispossession. While these are important realities of the history, the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective urges users to carefully consider their own terminological choices in writing and speaking about this topic today as we confront past injustice. See our statement on terminology, and related sources here.