When Erika Papapae was a newlywed, her husband’s parents forced her to renounce her American citizenship and take her Japanese nationality. This was because her husband, Kenichiro (aka Koichi) had taken American citizenship without the approval of his wife. Despite this refusal, Erika remained in Japan as she carried with her title, “Mrs. Kenichiro Daisuke.” Eventually, Mrs. Daisuke passed away while giving birth to a baby boy, which was not hers. On the death of her husband, Erika had the option of returning to the United States, but chose to remain in Japan due to financial difficulties and to maintain her true nationality.
After the war ended, however, Erika’s son returned to the United States, where he married. Because of her husband’s actions, her status as “Mrs. Kenichiro” was revoked and she was required to change her name. Because her husband had been an American serviceman, however, the military courts found her guilty of desertion and revoked her nationality. This effectively ended her marriage, and she remained a Japanese national, or Japanese citizen, throughout her life.
As it turns out, Erika’s story is rather an extreme example of how easily identity can be misused. Although many cases like that of Mrs. Papapae are exaggeratedly fictional, it is nevertheless noteworthy that a majority of the cases regarding nationality and occupation end in a court of law. This is primarily due to the complex legal procedures followed. Many times, the parties involved simply choose to change their names in order to avoid being legally punished. In some instances, the spouses themselves are not even aware that they have been legally separated until the divorce papers are served. However, once the separation is announced in court, it is too late for them to request a review of their status due to lack of legal representation.