Sono Osato was a Japanese-American dancer from Chicago who achieved early success before gov't policies targeting people of Japanese ancestry during WWII interrupted her career and broke apart her family.
#japaneseamerican #ballet #dance #ballerina #chicago
#japaneseamerican #ballet #dance #ballerina #chicago
Grace Dummelle, Genealogy and Local History Library Assistant at the Newberry, discusses Sono's life and her experience during WWII.
"She was not just a ballet dancer. She danced on Broadway in the original productions of 'On the Town' and 'One Touch of Venus'."
Sono's father was Shoji Osato, identified in a Newberry yearbook as "a well-known photographer and a 'pioneer', someone who came to Chicago prior to the War."
Shoji and his wife operated the Japanese Tea House in Jackson Park until WWII, when the US gov't began to target citizens of Japanese ancestry.
Sono was also affected by the racism and xenophobia of the time. On a domestic tour of the country with her ballet troupe, she was prevented from entering California.
Sono was also occasionally cast in "exotic" roles because of her Japanese heritage (though she wasn't always relegated to such roles).
Her success on the national stage and her appearance in national publications ultimately made "the Japanese American community in Chicago very proud of her."
