Chinese Coaching Book (1938)

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prevented all but a few Chinese to enter the United States legally. In 1906, a major earthquake and resulting fire in San Francisco destroyed public records, allowing many Chinese to claim that they had been born in San Francisco. These men, with newly established citizenship status, periodically returned to China and claimed citizenship for their children (overwhelmingly boys) who could then immigrate into the United States as citizens. As U.S. officials became aware of this practice, they created extensive "traps" to uncover these "paper sons." At the Angel Island immigration station (1910-1940) located off the coast of San Francisco, officials detained immigrants for weeks, months, and sometimes years, before admitting or rejecting them.

Elaborate "coaching books" were studied by would-be immigrants in order to tell the same stories put forth by the alleged U.S. citizen who was waiting for his "paper son" on the American shores of Gold Mountain. Questions included minute details of the immigrant's home and village as well as specific knowledge of their ancestors.

This artifact is such a coaching book: it was studied by Choi Tsia who arrived on Angel Island in 1938. Approximately 175,000 Chinese immigrants came through Angel Island.

Gift of Ted Gong.

Ben Kuroki: "The Boy From Nebraska"

Ben Kuroki joined the U.S. Army Air Corps shortly after the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Sergeant Kuroki was one of the few Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) admitted to the Corps. He earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses and was acclaimed as the first Nisei war hero after flying 30 missions in Europe as a tailgunner and top turret gunner aboard a B-24 plane.

The government sent him on a tour to Heart Mountain and two other prison camps in an effort to promote U.S. military recruitment. Not surprisingly, the U.S. government faced increasing draft resistance among Nisei men who were incarcerated for no other reason than their ethnic Japanese heritage.

Kuroki asked for duty in the Pacific and, after initial rejection, became the only Nisei to serve in active combat with the Air Corps in the Pacific theater, flying 28 more missions over Japan as a tailgunner on a B-29 plane.

After the war, he became the first Japanese American editor of a general newspaper in Nebraska. He later edited newspapers in Michigan and Southern California. Kuroki recently donated his personal scrapbooks, along with his personal letters and wartime artifacts, to the Smithsonian.

In this photo, Kuroki is pictured holding his airplane's turret, which was demolished over the German city of Munster during his 30th mission in Europe. Fortunately, he had briefly leaned back seconds before into the plane before the flak hit and was lucky to not be seriously injured.

Gift of Ben Kuroki. Photo credit: 93rd Bombardment Group.

Apolo Ohno's Skates

Apolo Anton Ohno, a short-track speed skater and winner of five Olympic medals, returns to the newly renovated National Museum of American History. Ohno wore these skates at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah where he won Gold in the 1500-meter and Silver in 1000-meter competitions. At the 2006 Olympics held in Italy, Ohno again won Gold in the 500-meter and Bronze in both the 1000-meter and 5000-meter relays.

The ever-determined Ohno continues to skate toward further gold, currently training for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Ohno's medal-winning skates are now display in the Popular Culture exhibit, proudly keeping company with other noteworthy acquisitions from fellow athletes and renowned entertainers. Come check out Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (the most popular object in the NMAH!), boxing gloves from Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and even Rocky, Celia Cruz's swinging dress and heels, and of course, everyone's amphibious favorite, Kermit the Frog.