Kaori 種子島 Tanegashima, “Daughter of a Gun”, 2008 was an autobiography.
On the 24 October 2009 at the Little Tokyo Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library: Kaori 種子島 Tanegashima was the “annual author recognition” recipient for her autobiography “Daughter of a Gun”, 2008. I attended that 23rd annual author luncheon in the Little Tokyo Branch Library.
“Daughter of a Gun” is a autobiography; and, Kaori 種子島 Tanegashima was born in Beijing, China to Japanese parents. Her parents expected a boy, but got a daughter instead.
Tanegashima 種子島 in Japanese is means “firearm” (Tokitaka Tanegaashima 1528-1579, was a firearms maker). Thus, the title of the autobiography “Daughter of a Gun”. Kaori and her parents were expelled from China and repatriated to Sasebo, Nagasaki in Japan. During World War II, the daughter Kaori tells getting the family food (she was nine-years old). A child in Nagasaki looking for “potatoes”, “rice”, or anything to eat during the war. Then, at age 19 years-old Kaori has escaped to America. University education and Kaori Tanegashima becomes the first professor of Asian Studies in Los Angeles Community College.
Kaori 種子島 Tanegashima, “Daughter of a Gun”, 2008 was an autobiography. This book was a fascinating story of World War II Japanese-American. In person, the author told of the need for her story (and others like her) to be told.
.
