Oral Histories: Asian American Studies in the Community

Welcome to our collection of oral histories showcasing Asian American activists in the Santa Clara Valley. This project extends the possibilities of Asian American Studies beyond the institutional boundaries of De Anza College and academia to highlight how individuals, working within and for their communities, have brought Asian American Studies to life.

Illustration of a smiling older woman with wavy black hair

With Asian American Studies, it's the people's history. It's all oral history. It didn't come out of libraries, you know

- Connie Young Yu, oral history, 2024

In these interviews, you'll hear from:

  1. Connie Young Yu, a historian and author focusing on Chinese American history in the Santa Clara Valley.
  2. Robert Ragsac, an advocate for Filipino American history and culture in San Jose.
  3. Tom Izu and Susan Hayase, co-founders of San Jose Nikkei Resisters, who work to preserve Japanese American history and promote social justice.

Connie Young Yu: Writing Untold Stories

Illustration of a smiling older woman with wavy black hair

Connie grew up with her family’s stories, and she was proud of her Chinese American identity. Her great-grandfather had worked on the Transcontinental Railroad, and her father was born in Heinlenville—one of San Jose’s historic Chinatowns. Yet through these stories, she also learned about the racism and discrimination her family endured. 

However, it wasn’t until college when a professor’s patronizing remark unintentionally prompted her to begin connecting her family’s struggles and experiences to broader American history. This would set her on a lifelong journey to become a writer of “untold stories.” Years later, she would return to her father's birthplace to write its legacy—as the first Asian American community in the Santa Clara Valley—back into history.

Robert Ragsac: History Detective

Illustration of a smiling old man with glasses and white hair

This is a story of an Ilokano boy, a Second-Wave immigrant, a son of migrant Filipino laborers who settled in San Jose during the Great Depression. But it’s also a story about Escalante's pool hall on Sixth Street, the Dobashis' grocery store on Jackson, and the basketball games between the Filipino kids and Nissei Zebra Bs in the old gym of the Buddhist Church.

It’s a story of a neighborhood, its people, and its memories—and a history detective’s efforts to document them before they are erased by the receding waves of time.

Tom Izu and Susan Hayase

Illustration of a smiling old womanIllustration of a smiling old man with glasses and white hairTom and Susan were leaders in the Japanese American redress movement of the 1980s. However, as the movement achieved its goals and began to wind down in the 1990s—and amidst the loss of their parents and a changing political climate—they turned their attention to the future. Concerned that the Japanese American community would "drift to the right" during the Reagan era of conservative backlash, Tom and Susan sought ways to remain engaged with progressive political movements. They used their platform from the redress movement to not only put forward a particular political view of its legacy, but envision a future where Japanese Americans actively contribute towards building a multiracial democracy.

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