My Journey Through Four Worlds: Growing Up in the Japanese, Deaf, Hearing, and American Worlds

With humor and devotion, Ronald M. Hirano takes us through the many adventures of his life as the Deaf son of Nikkei, Japanese Americans who were sent to internment camps during World War II. Knowing that there would be no opportunities for Ron to be educated in American Sign Language in the camp, his mother made the heart-wrenching decision to send him to live with Delight Rice, who had Deaf parents.

As he navigated numerous cultures-Japanese, Deaf, Hearing, and American-Ron endured racism, audism, and ignorance at school and in the workplace. It would have been easy to be discouraged by such obstacles, but Ron saw opportunities, oftentimes at the other party’s expense, for memorable retorts and last laughs. A lifelong community servant for many local and national organizations, Ron and his wife Kay also traveled much of the world. Highlights from many of their trips are shared in this unique autobiography.

My Journey Through Four Worlds is an inspiring, honest look at how an American-born Japanese Deaf person has manuevered decades of stereotypes, both from society and within the family, to flourish as a beloved pillar of the Deaf community.