Experience the lives of the first Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest through the cartoons and illustrations by Sam Goto
Bushidō is the moral code my dad embodied in his thoughts, actions and beliefs. This code also wove its way into his comics, and provides a lens to understand the guiding principles of the Japanese American experience. The moral code of the samurai includes honesty, integrity and persistence—values that continue in Japan and influence the newest generation of Japanese Americans today.
Sam Goto created the character Samurai Shigeru as part of the comic strip Seattle Tomodachi (friend of Seattle) which told the stories of the first Japanese immigrants and their offspring settling in the Pacific Northwest. Sam’s comics and illustrations carry not only stories of Japanese culture and tradition, but also integrate Sam’s own experiences balancing his heritage values of loyalty, honor and honesty—akin to a samurai’s code—while pursuing the American dream.
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