A defeated, lost, desperate generation clinging to anything that feels like a community. Resigned to the hypocrisy of what was once the Canadian Government Joy Kogawa’s Obasan creates a sound for the voiceless. This paper takes an informal stance on translational theory in that it looks at the important role of language brokering and how the improper translations deeply affected Japanese-Canadian’s during Pearl Harbor. Not only does Obasan delve into the racial overtones of the 40’s but searches for answers regarding the generational divide between the Issei and the Nisei. From the simple translation between an aunt and a niece, to not translating at all: (keeping foreign words) and to the life altering mishandling of the Japanese-Canadian nation, Obasan’s take on the internment alongside Muriel Kitagawa’s letters and Roy Miki’s thoughts on the redress, gives the readers a deep understanding of the difficulties behind the lives of second generation Canadians. This research focuses on the role of the language broker (often the children) as the translators in their families. With British Columbia’s continual expansion of diversity, this paper will take a look into the parent-child role reversal as well as the dangers that ultimately follow such daunting tasks.
