Toshio Mori

Toshio Mori (March 3, 1910 – 1980) was an American author, best known for being one of the earliest (and perhaps the first) Japanese–American writers to publish a book of fiction. He participated in drawing the UFO Robo Grendizer, the Japanese series TV in the years 1975-1977 .

Biography

Mori was born in Oakland, California and grew up in San Leandro. During World War II, he and his family were interned at Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah, where Mori edited the journal Trek for a year. After the war, Mori returned to the Bay Area where he continued to write. He is the author of Yokohama, California (1949), The Chauvinist and Other Stories (1979), and The Woman from Hiroshima (1980). Mori worked most of his adult life in a small family nursery.

Writing Style

Though Mori was a short story fiction writer, his stories often echoed and reflected the life of Japanese Americans in pre and postwar America. Imbued with wonderment at the everyday routine of the people around him, Mori's stories told of seemingly menial situations that emphasized the emotional connections and culture that all Americans share, regardless of their ethnic background. This tone was one of the main reasons why Mori's work was so successful; it was accessible to more than just the Japanese American community. Even Mori's work while in the internment camp was from the 'optimistic perspective', a style of writing in the internment camps which encouraged Japanese Americans not to be pessimistic and have faith in the American democratic system.

Though the majority of Mori's work was considered lighthearted and even comical, some of his works did emphasize the taut emotional strain that a Japanese American felt, before, after and during the war. Most of his works prewar described the slightly comical problems that a Japanese American dealt with on a daily basis, trying to balance their Japanese culture with the American one. During his internment, Mori's tone occasionally became dark, especially in a short story dedicated to his brother (who was badly injured in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team) which describes a fight between brothers over patriotic duty to their country.