Yuji Ichioka (1936-2002) was an American-born Japanese (Nisei) historian who pioneered in the studies of Japanese American history. Coining the term "Asian American," Ichioka was also instrumental in developing an academic field of Asian American Studies since the late 1960s. The collection consists of Ichioka's correspondence, publication drafts, research materials, instructional materials, rare Japanese American periodicals, papers relating to archival development and conference organization, and miscellaneous subject files.

Yuji Ichioka was born in San Francisco, Calif. in 1936, as a son of Japanese immigrants. The family was interned at the Topaz internment camp in Utah during the Pacific War, after which they returned to the San Francisco Bay Area to start a new life in Berkeley. After Ichioka's high school graduation in 1954, he served in the United States Army in Germany. Following his discharge, he attended UCLA and graduated in 1962. Intending to pursue Chinese history with a fellowship, Ichioka moved to New York City to enroll in a Columbia University graduate program, but he quit soon after. He traveled to Japan for the first time in the winter of 1966, an experience that inspired him to study Japanese language and pursue research on Japanese immigrant experience in the United States. After he returned from that trip, Ichioka enrolled in an MA program in Japanese history at UC Berkeley, which he completed in 1968. Around this time, Ichioka also took the initiative to form the Asian American Political Alliance and steered a younger generation of Asian Americans to a civil right/anti-war movement. Recruited as instructor of the first Asian American studies course at UCLA, he moved to Los Angeles in 1969, where he took part in the establishment of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. As Research Associate and Adjunct Associate Professor of History, his research and writing centered on Japanese American history. During his career as a professional historian, Ichioka traveled numerous times to Japan for research and teaching, while publishing 2 major monographs, 2 edited books, 2 major annotated bibliographies and dozens of journal articles. Ichioka was married to Emma Gee, a scholar of Asian American women and history, as well as a writer and labor activist. Ichioka died in September 2002.Yuji Ichioka (1936-2002) was born in San Francisco, California, as a son of Japanese immigrants. Having interned at the Topaz internment camp in Utah during the Pacific War, he returned to the San Francisco bay area with his parents and siblings to start a new life in Berkeley, where he stayed until his high school graduation in 1954. Ichioka then served in the United States Army to station in Germany, and after his discharge, he attended UCLA and graduated in 1962. Intending to pursue Chinese history with a fellowship, Ichioka moved to New York City to enroll in Columbia University graduate program, which he quit soon after. Having worked as youth guidance counselor in New York, he traveled to Japan for the first time in the winter of 1966, an experience that inspired him to study Japanese language and pursue research on Japanese immigrant experience in the United States. After he returned from the trans-Pacific trip, Ichioka enrolled in a MA program in Japanese history at the University of California, Berkeley, which he completed in 1968. Around this time, Ichioka also took the initiative in forming the Asian American Political Alliance and steered the younger generations of Asian Americans to a civil right/anti-war movement. Recruited as the instructor of the first Asian American studies course at UCLA, he moved to Los Angeles in 1969, where he took part in the establishment of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and continued his research and writing on Japanese American history until his death in September 2002. He was Research Associate and Adjunct Associate Professor of History. Ichioka was married to Emma Gee, a scholar of Asian American woman and history, as well as a writer and labor activist.

139 boxes (69.5 linear ft.)2 oversize boxes.

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