The Four Immigrants Manga : A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924 | 
 enlarge | Authors: Henry (yoshitaka) Kiyama, Frederik L. Schodt
Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 210884
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 152
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 9 x 4.7 x 0.8
ISBN: 1880656337
Dewey Decimal Number: 979.461004956
EAN: 9781880656334
ASIN: 1880656337
Publication Date: June 1, 1999
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Shipping: International shipping available
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Book Description
First published in Japanese in San Francisco in 1931, The Four Immigrants Manga is a documentary comic book and the author's chronicle of his immigrant experiences in the United States. Arriving in 1904, Henry and his three pals work as houseboys, labor in the fields, and are shaken by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. They also suffer considerable discrimination. Drawn in the comic-book style of George McManus's clasic "Bringing Up Father," this heartfelt tale is an accurate depiction of early Asian-American struggles and a document of great historical interest.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Historical Biography June 9, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This was a very interesting read, although the jokes themselves were rarely funny due to the difficulty of translating puns. It stands out mostly as a sort of documentary about Japanese immigrants in San Fransisco, specifically worker-students. We watch them struggle to find jobs in strange American homes, a social commentary about gambling and the evils thereof, a six to eight page story of the San Fransisco Earthquake, and building their families.
I found it especially interesting to read the notes after each two-page "chapters" in the back of the book, which added depth to what was happening and provided historical content as well as further describing conditions in San Fransisco at that time.
Comments were made at the beginning of the book that the cartoonist had limited his market because he was writing strictly for fellow immigrants, who would best understand the mixture of Japanese and English that he used in his writing. This is denoted throughout the book with shaky letters for English, which immigrants had difficulty following and plain type-set for regular Japanese, their birth tongue.
As for the artwork, think more old-school Japanese and American comics than the manga that is popular today-- don't be expecting tick marks or sweatdrops for example!
For me especially this had a lot of fond memories. I am not Japanese, but my family moved to San Fransisco in the early 1905 from Italy, so a lot of this made me remember stories about my great grandfather and my great grandmother--my great-grandfather built a shoe-store that was destroyed by the San Fransisco earthquake. Even if you don't buy this book for the humor, at least consider the purchase to read about immigrants to America in the 1900's.
 A Very Rare Glimpse April 13, 2000
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Henry Kiyama created this terrific book in the 1930's, chronicling the lives of four young Japanese immigrants and their struggle to find work and acceptance in San Francisco at the turn of the century. It was unearthed and translated into English, giving us all the rare privelege of a glimpse into the immigrant experience of that era. Drawn in a simple and lighthearted style and told with insight and depth, Kiyama, along with the rising popularity of Japanese Anime and Manga, reinforces the notion that comics are not just for kids anymore. A great read for a comic lover, a hyphenated-American or anyone interested in the multihued experience of our country.
Historically important June 7, 1999
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
If you're not used to reading comics, this will seem rough and not particularly funny. Readers more familiar with the form will recognize that this book is more subtle and better crafted than your typical comic.It's of special interest to Japanese Americans and others interested in the immigrant experience in the USA.
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