The Issei at Barneston Project: The Historical Archaeology of an Early 20th Century Japanese American Community
University of Washington PhD candidate David R. Carlson discusses his research into the history of some of our local Japanese-American communities. Read the full description provided by the lecturer below.
Please register for this event by emailing info@eastsideheritagecenter.org with the subject 7/13/20 Lecture to receive access to the online lecture.
Full Abstract by David R. Carlson
When the Meiji government loosened emigration restrictions in the mid-1800s, it opened the door for many Japanese citizens to leave their country in search of brighter futures. Major changes in the economic structure of Japan created a class of itinerant laborers in need of money to support themselves and their families. For some of these laborers, the western United States offered the economic and social opportunities they needed, and men, women, and children traveled across the Pacific to pursue them. Some came and left, seeking only temporary work. Others came with the intent to leave, but found the opportunities too valuable to pass up, particularly for their families. Still others came with the full intention of staying in the United States. Regardless of their original intentions, these immigrants and their descendants added their diverse backgrounds and interests to American society, and continue to play a critical role in U.S. history.
For the past three years, the Issei at Barneston Project (IABP) has been conducting research at Barneston, Washington, in the hopes of using historical archaeology to better understand the experiences and struggles of this first generation of Japanese Americans (Issei). Established in 1898 by the Kent Logging Company, Barneston was one of hundreds of sawmill operations that dotted Washington’s landscape west of the Cascades. Like many such operations, it was a company town, and like many of its fellow towns, Barneston employed Issei laborers. For these workers, towns like Barneston provided a stable place to earn money, acclimate to the United States, and even raise a family. At the same time, life on the towns was not exempt from the widespread anti-Japanese racism that plagued the region (and the United States). Workers at sawmill towns experienced early pay inequalities and bouts of violence, labor conflicts, and a labor hierarchy that often relegated them to the most basic and physically demanding jobs. The questions my project seeks to answer have to do with how Issei workers navigated these situations. What can the archaeology at Barneston tell us about how these workers responded to the racism they experienced, on and off the town? And, what can we learn regarding the strategies they took to counter this exclusion and discrimination?
In this talk, I will introduce the IABP, its goals, and its guiding concepts, and will discuss the reasons for taking a specifically historical archaeological approach to these questions. I will then speak about the history of Barneston and its Nikkei community, before delving into the specific research questions and fieldwork that are part of this project. Finally, while I am still analyzing what we found, I will talk about some of our preliminary results and what they might say in regards the experiences and struggles of Barneston’s Japanese American and Japanese immigrant community.
