The Kimiko Side Papers: A vital Perspective in denver’s history
In celebration of Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian (AAPINH) Heritage Month, we’re proud to highlight one of our own from the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library: Ellie Nash. Ellie recently completed the translation of the Kimiko Side papers, a powerful archival collection that offers rare insight into the life and voice of a Japanese woman whose experiences deepen our understanding of identity, resilience, and community. Ellie approached the translation through their own lens as both Japanese and American, bringing a layered and thoughtful interpretation to the text. We sat down with Ellie to learn more about the translation process, the significance of the papers, and what it means to preserve stories that have too often been overlooked.
Please tell me a bit about the Kimiko Side papers and how you first came across them. What was your initial reaction when you realized their significance?
Originally, a staff member from SCA (Special Collections & Archives) reached out to me about them. We’re in the AA.NH/PI Affinity Group, so she asked if I could read Japanese and if I would be able to translate. I started out with only some general information about her and her work, but as I saw more of the documents, I could see how widely she had impacted the Japanese-American community in Denver.
What drew you to take on the task of translating these particular documents?
I’ve always been interested in the history of Japanese Americans in Denver, but it was never something that was taught in-depth in school. I also knew about the Sister City Partnership only in passing, so a big part of it was wanting to learn more about both of these things. Translation has also been an interest of mine, especially more recently, so I considered it an opportunity to get some experience with that too.
Were there any challenges in translating the papers? Linguistic, cultural, or emotional? How did you navigate sections that were especially nuanced or difficult?
The main challenge for me was reading handwriting. Older folks in Japan, including my grandparents, have handwriting that’s kind of like cursive in English. It’s very beautiful, but it can be hard to make out the individual characters. She also used a lot of abbreviations and shorthand or kanji forms that people in her generation learned in school, that isn’t used as often anymore. I had to ask my mom for help throughout the process just to make sure I was reading everything correctly. I also felt a little awkward translating some of her more personal correspondences because it felt kind of invasive, in a way. I hadn’t had the opportunity to meet her before her passing, so I wanted to make sure I was being respectful and trusting that her family donated materials that were okay to be shared.
How do the Kimiko Side papers contribute to our understanding of the period or community they document?
I think these papers are most revealing about the kind of person Mrs. Side was and how deeply she cared about her community and about sharing Japanese culture. The correspondences from people in Takayama showed how much everyone appreciated her dedication to her work, and it was clear that the connections she made during her time leading the Sister Cities Partnership were deeply cherished.
What considerations did you take to preserve the original voice and intent during translation?
This was one of the more difficult parts of the process, given that Japanese has both formal and informal language structure, where in English the distinction is a little more blurry. Especially with just how formal a lot of the Japanese were, it was sometimes a struggle to find ways to communicate the message in English without changing too much of the tone and meaning. Formal Japanese letter-writing conventions also have a lot of greetings and formalities that don’t have English equivalents, so it was interesting trying to find ways to phrase them in ways that weren’t too awkward. Ultimately, I prioritized the content and message of the papers over the stylistic aspects.
Has working on this project changed how you think about translation or archival work?
It was a very interesting look into the process of translation for personal documents. It wasn’t something I’d thought about very much before, especially compared to something like literary translation, but it was very interesting, and I’d love to do more if I get the chance.
Are there future projects related to Kimiko Side or similar work that you’re currently exploring or would like to pursue?
I would love to look at other materials at SCA that would need to be translated into Japanese, if there are any. There’s also a digital archive called the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection, where I’ve been correcting and transcribing the Japanese text in a historical bilingual newspaper, the Rocky Mountain Jiho. It’s not quite the same as translation, but it’s been really interesting to see the history and how things were being reported for the wider Japanese-American community in the Rocky Mountain West.
Ellie’s work reminds us that translation is more than a technical skill. It is an act of care, connection, and cultural preservation. By interpreting the Kimiko Side papers through their own lived experience as both Japanese and American, Ellie offers us not only access to the words on the page but to the heart of a woman who helped shape her community in quiet but enduring ways. As we honor AAPINH Heritage Month, we are grateful for Ellie’s dedication and the vital role translation plays in keeping stories like Kimiko Side’s alive for future generations.
