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Kazuma Hirata's Derby Hat, ca. 1940.

Kazuma Hirata's Derby Hat, ca. 1940. - Derby
Accession #: 4134.18
Title: Kazuma Hirata's Derby Hat, ca. 1940.
Object Type: Derby
Participants:
Physical Description: Grey man's hat with same colored ribbon around the brim.
Description: Kazuma "Frank" Hirata was a leader in Spokane's Japanese American community. During the 1920s and 1930s he managed the Spokane Vegetable Growers Association, a co-operative of Japanese-American farmers and In 1940, the Hirata family began operating the 130-room Clem Hotel on Trent Avenue (now Spokane Falls Boulevard) adjacent to many other downtown Asian businesses. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Frank Hirata was arrested and sent to a Department of Justice camp in Montana. As a community leader, he was viewed as potentially dangerous. He spent two years in Department of Justice camps across the U.S. before his release in 1943. During this time, Jun managed the Clem Hotel, along with the help of their three children. After the war, thousands of Japanese Americans leaving internment camps temporarily lived in Spokane until they could return to the coast. Many stayed at the Clem Hotel.
Category: Textiles
Subjects/Topics/Concepts:
Headwear (Personal Artifact->Clothing), Men (Men)
Dimensions:
SIZE 7
Object H x Dia 5 3/4 x 13 3/4"
Materials/Techniques:
ribbon (Material)
wool (Material)
Marks/Inscription:
"Established 1817, Mallory Fifth Ave. N. Y., 7, Gray Mallory Price 8.50, Classic Quality, For Youthfull Smartness,United Clothes Shop, Cor. Main & Wash. Sts. Spokane, Wash." interior labels.
Related Exhibits:
Credit Line: Gift of Motoko Hirata, 2006

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