The author lives in a place filled with opportunities for girls like her. She is fortunate to attend school and enjoy activities like other young ladies. Her third- and fourth-generation parents encouraged her to attend Japanese Cultural School to learn about her heritage and to be proud of being Japanese-American. Her life has been filled with personal triumphs in academics and athletics, and aside from the normal issues a young person faces (illnesses and family deaths), tragedies have been minimal. However, were it not for the struggles endured and choices made by the generations of Japanese women before her, she would not be experiencing the life she has today. In this article, the author presents a story about Japanese women's triumphs in the midst of the tragedies of racial discrimination and immigration in America. The story is presented through the four generations of women in the author's family. These are: (1) Issei (first generation); (2) Americanized Nisei (second generation); (3) "Sansei" (third generation); and (4) Yonsei (fourth generation). Through these four generations of women, the author has learned that the attitude, "Shigate ga nai," "that which cannot be helped," is the foundation which has allowed them to persevere. Four appendixes include family documents and photographs, and an annotated bibliography. Contains 41 endnotes.)