1940 Census

One thing about being a history nerd, I love researching information.

I also love that the government releases census reports eventually, giving us a chance to see what America was like before we had the chance to be a part of this wonderful nation.

I found my family on the U.S. Census Bureau website after a little research and a lot of scrolling.  Sadly, in this pre-digital age, it's hard to search these hand-written documents other than good old click and scan.  With thousands of names to scroll through, I was blessed with a true gift from my great-grandmother: she had a knack for being on time for everything she did.  Instead of scrolling through hundreds of names, my great-grandmother registered her family as numbers 15-19 in their district.  Thank you, great-grandmother!

(Click to enlarge)

At first this just seems like a boring chart that no one but a nerd would be interested in, but that's only partially true.  This census form is a moment captured in time, as if my great-grandmother pressed pause on her family's life to give us a peek into what was going on in the Kumasaka's life in 1940.  Think about the time: Germany was at war with Europe, the Japanese in the Pacific were engaging in extremely aggressive behavior that would eventually drag America into the war, and the Kumasaka family, as a Japanese-American family, was watching it all unfold daily in the newspapers and on the movie theater news reels.  And in the midst of this all, my great-grandmother filled out this census form, telling us about her family and their lives.

There are a few things I want to point out to you, because I find them really fascinating.  First off, in the spot where "nationality" is listed, my great-grandfather is listed as a Japanese, and my great-grandmother is listed as "white".  My grandfather and his two sisters are listed as Japanese too, which is surprising because just 2 1/2 years later my grandfather would list his nationality as "white" on his army enlistment paperwork.

Interesting...very interesting.

Also, as you can see on the far left of the chart, my great-grandfather was one of the few citizens in his area (or at least on this census page) who owned their own home.  Home ownership as we know it today didn't become as commonplace as it is until after WWII, when returning GIs were able to head to college on the GI Bill, essentially helping the creation of the middle class.  It's somewhat significant that my great-grandfather owned  not only the home he lived in with his family, but the store downstairs where they made their business.

Finally, as you can see from their employment records, my great-Aunt Violet, two years my grandfather's senior, was already employed in the family business, helping out in the store as a shop girl.  My grandfather, who also worked their before and after the war, had not yet started stocking shelves with his father and sister, but it would happen shortly.  Remember those months of childhood where your only responsibilities were school work and friendships?  In this moment, that was my grandfather.

If you have some time, I definitely recommend looking up your family's past with the US. Census.  There are so many amazing things you can see through the eyes of someone else.