Pub. 6 2016-2017 Issue 4

of Las Animas, where his family had its bank account, drove out to their farm and met with his parents. The purpose of his visit was to ex- plain the new law, the freezing of their account by the bank, and that they would not be able to obtain any money from their account for the foreseeable future. Mr. Rawlings went on to say that he felt this act was morally wrong and that hewould personally loan the familymoney they needed until the law was changed. (It would have been illegal for the bank to loan money to Japanese Americans, so to remain compliant with national laws, Rawlings wouldmake loans from his personal funds.) Alan believes that Mr. Rawlings visited other Japanese families that were also bank customers and that he delivered similar messages to them. Patriotic fervor was at an extreme level and anger at anyone of Japanese descent was ram- pant. What Mr. Rawlings did would have been viewed unfavorably and perhaps unpatriotic by a majority of Americans at the time. This act of courage and compassion by a local banker for immigrants in their time of need was never forgotten by the Japanese families in the valley. This story has inspiredme to contemplate how I treat people in a similar circumstance. n I recently had dinner with Alan and Rose Murayama. Alan, an ordained Presbyteri- an minister is now 90 years old. I want to share with you an event he related to me that occurred about 75 years ago. Alan was raised on a farm near the town of Las Animas in the Arkansas Valley of south - eastern Colorado. His parents, Masulsuni and Umeyo Marayama, were among several Japanese immigrant families that had settled in the area around 1910. Although Alan and his siblings had been born in the Arkansas Valley and were U.S. citizens, his parents were not citizens. (BeforeWWII, no Asian-born persons could become citizens nomatter how long they had resided in the United States.) After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Har- bor on December 7, 1941, and the subsequent declaration of war on Japan by President Franklin Roosevelt, there was great fear of Japanese immigrants in the country; even American citizens who were descendants of Japanese ancestors were feared. All persons of Japanese descent (whether citizen or not) on the west coast were rounded up and moved to internment camps further inland. However, in Colorado his family could remain in their home. Alan remembers great resentment by many citizens against Japanese Americans at that time. After the Internment, the Roosevelt administration froze the bank accounts of all Japanese Americans in the country. Because Alan’s family members were share croppers (they were forbidden from owning land be - cause they were Japanese American), their pri - mary assets were farm equipment and money in the bank. The freezing of their money was a terrible blow and would be a severe hardship for the family. Alan remembers that shortly after, John Rawlings, president of the First National Bank A Tale of Generosity and Courage RoseandAlanMarayama2016 Masulsuni and Umeyo Marayama John W. Rawlings FEATURE ARTICLE WES BROWN This story has inspired me to contemplate how I treat people in a similar circumstance.