by Greater Astorial Historical Society
In conjunction with the Greater Astoria Historical Society, the Times–Ledger newspaper presents noteworthy events in the borough’s history.
Highly-decorated World War II veteran, finance industry executive and government official, Yeiichi “Kelly” Kuwayama was born on June 1, 1918 in Manhattan and later grew up in Woodside, Queens. After graduating Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Kuwayama became one of the first Japanese-Americans to attend Princeton University. He volunteered for service in the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team, consisting of soldiers of Japanese ancestry, and saw heavy fighting as a combat medic in Europe. Following the war, he worked for Nomura Securities in occupied Japan and later rose to become the general manager of the investment bank’s US operations before serving as a government official in Washington, DC. At the time of his passing in 2014 at age 96, he was the oldest living Asian-American Princeton alumnus and was survived by two of his siblings and his wife, Fumiko. Born to immigrants from Niigata Prefecture, Japan, Kelly Kuwayama’s father worked as a cook for a wealthy family in Manhattan before building a small business empire that included movie houses on the Atlantic City boardwalk and an art supplies and Japanese grocery business. Reflecting on his family history, the distinguished war veteran remembered the tragic death of his infant sister Yuki in 1918 and his father’s decision to bury her in a cemetery plot in New York City as a commitment to build a life in their adopted country and raise their children as Americans.
Before attending Princeton, Kuwayama grew up in a Depression-era Woodside community where he recalls being part of the only Asian family. He excelled in his studies as a member of the Newtown High School class of 1936. Following his graduation from Princeton in 1940, however, the New York native tasted the bitterness of discrimination as he struggled to find employment. With the clouds of war gathering, the young man was soon drafted into the Army and in 1943 volunteered for the 442nd.
For service to his country in World War II, Kelly Kuwayama’s decorations included the Silver and Bronze Stars, Purple Heart, Legion of Merit and the French Legion of Honor. After returning stateside, he earned an MBA from Harvard University on the GI Bill and worked for Nomura Securities, first in war-torn, impoverished Tokyo and later in New York City.
After working in finance for over 20 years, he was once again called to serve his country, working for the Department of Commerce and the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. In recognition of his service to the United States, Yeiichi “”Kelly” Kuwayama is interred in Arlington National Cemetery. A modest memorial in the Japanese section of Mount Olivet Cemetery in Maspeth is also testimony to the inspiring story of a man from Queens.
Commenting on his experience as a patriotic American born to Japanese immigrants, Kuwayama reflected “being an American in outlook yet knowing myself to be a Japanese-American made it hard at times, but they are complementary aspects to who I am. What I take from both is the American gung-ho spirit of aspiring to greatness tempered by the more down-to-earth Asian acceptance that there are processes beyond the reach of understanding. I can say that both these approaches have led to a balanced life and an ability to stay true to my own self.”
For further information, call the Greater Astoria Historical Society at 718-278-0700 or visit our website at www.astor
