Dean Terasaki
Sam: father, husband, teller of tales, businessman, gardener, warrior, and proud Democrat
Image Created: 2011
Medium: Archival Inkjet Print
Edition: Open
$145
Print: 9″ x 6″
Unframed
This is a portrait of my father I made in 2011. You can’t tell from this image, but he was very well known for his sense of humor. When I was a kid, I found a box of photographs and military memorabilia that marked his time as a veteran of the Second World War. I have written about that box leading me to a life in photography. Dad fought as a soldier in the 442d Regiment, which is the famous, highly-decorated, all Japanese American, U.S. Army unit. He was very proud of his service, and he was often invited to speak to groups about his experiences in the war. He did that because most of his fellow soldiers would not. The story of Americans who had been denied their rights as citizens, and who had bravely proved their worthiness as citizens on the battlefield, was one that he believed must be told and retold. He studied to be a pharmacist. He married a farm girl and at least four times a year, made the five-hour (one-way) drive to deliver Japanese groceries to his in-laws. He ran his own drugstores for over twenty years before going to work for Safeway. He gave up skiing after starting a family, and always made sure I was on the train for ski lessons at Winter Park. He also took me to the downtown Denver memorial service in the days after Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination. He always called himself an American of Japanese descent. Like any dad, he could be a stern taskmaster. But he loved to go fishing, spend time with his family, tell funny stories, and complain about Republican presidents. Thanks, Dad.