Ishigo, Estelle.

Variant names
Dates:
Birth 1899-07-15
Death 1990-02-25
Gender:
Female
Americans,
English,

Biographical notes:

Estelle (Peck) Ishigo was born in Oakland, CA, 1899; attended Otis Art Institute; met and married San Franciscan Nisei, Arthur Ishigo (ca. 1929); following Pearl Harbor, both were fired from their jobs and Arthur ordered to a concentration camp; Estelle voluntarily accompanied him and they were eventually assigned to Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming; Estelle documented life at the camp through her artwork; they lived in poverty for many years following the war; Arthur died, 1957; fellow Heart Mountain inmates helped Ishigo republish her 1972 book, Lone Heart Mountain, ca. 1984; filmmaker Steven Okazaki made a documentary of Ishigo's life titled, Days of waiting; she died before seeing the film (1990).

From the description of Papers, 1941-1957. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 41538961

Estelle Ishigo, a European-American, married Arthur Ishigo, a Japanese American, in 1928. During World War II the Ishigos were transferred along with other Japanese-Americans to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center outside of Powell, Wyoming. They remained in the camp from 1942-1945. Following their release, Arthur worked at the Los Angeles Airport until his death in 1957 and Estelle worked as an artist. In 1972 she published "Lone Heart Mountain," a recollection of her experience at the Relocation Center, along with her sketches and drawings of the camp.

From the description of Estelle Ishigo photographs, ca. 1928-ca. 1972 (bulk 1942-1945) (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 39255545

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Subjects:

  • Japanese Americans
  • Japanese evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
  • Women artists

Occupations:

  • Artists

Places:

  • California (as recorded)
  • Wyoming (as recorded)