Story and Art by Kiyama "Henry" Yoshitaka
Translated by Frederik L. Schodt

Let's talk about "manga." The word which we now come to know as meaning comics originally meant something that was more of a caricature than a comic book. Of course, over time, meanings change, and when someone says "manga" today they're most likely talking about the latest issue of JUMP rather than the political cartoon in the ASAHI SHINBUN.
THE FOUR IMMIGRANTS MANGA was done in the early 1900's by Henry Kiyama, a Japanese who was living in San Francisco studying Western art. In his comic, he detailed the trials and tribulations of himself and several of his friends, leaving a very user-friendly historical record. This work has recently been translated into English by Frederik Schodt, a well-known authority on manga.
While this book may not be as sleek and stylistic as RURONI KENSHIN or as popular as DRAGON BALL, it is well worth reading. The story of people coming to America to pursue their dreams is one of the founding tenets of this country, but this is one of the first times it has been presented from a Japanese perspective. Students of Japanese history and culture, as well as those who are studying Asian-American history in the United States will find this slice-of-life story a real delight. But even the casual manga fan can enjoy THE FOUR IMMIGRANTS.
Upon arriving in America, the four men choose American names for themselves. Henry (the author) is studying Western art. Fred wants to become a farmer, while Franks wants to become a rich merchant. And finally, Charlie simply wants to study the ways of democracy. Together they get a firsthand view of what life was like in San Francisco in the early twentieth century.
One of the most interesting things in this manga is the original English Kiyama used. The speech reflects how the Japanese spoke English, as well as how the American spoke to the Japanese. It also shows the stereotypical Chinese English as well. It is interesting and sometimes amusing to see how a native Japanese viewed the Americans who were trying to talk to him and his friends.
Of course, historical references abound, and the book is completely annotated with a series of end notes in the back. Of specific interest are the San Francisco Earthquake (and subsequent fire), the World's Fair, and the ban on Japanese immigrants entering the U.S. All of this is of course displayed through the eyes of someone who lived these things. And of course, Fred Schodt has done extensive research to make all of the references and events as understandable to the modern reader as possible, which in itself is no easy task.
The art is probably a bit more "cartoonish" than a lot of the manga read by American audiences today, but it shows the style of the author and reflects the period in which it was written. It looks more like old comic strips of the 1930's than it does like modern manga, but then again, it is part of the evolution of the medium. (After all, the art in comic books today looks very different than it did fifty years ago as well).
This book will probably be most interesting to those who have an interest in Japan that goes beyond anime and manga, but certainly THE FOUR IMMIGRANTS MANGA is a story worth reading, and shows the true power of the medium of manga.

The Four Immigrants
Stonebridge Press
152 pages
ISBN 1-880656-33-7
$12.95