Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1762/

Kids activities in Crystal City

I remember playing with my friends, I guess, we would go out and collect lizards and go catch little fish, minnow, in the creek, things like that I remember. Climbing trees, and, of course, going swimming. I learned how to swim on my own, it was just a natural for me, we just went swimming. And, of course, we found out two people drowned, right? But going swimming was fun. And after swimming we would walk home, and it's a big orchard, they were growing grapefruit, and we'd just go there and help ourselves to grapefruit, I remember that. And they had lot of sugar cane growing everywhere, and oh that was good, we used to go and eat that almost every time we had a chance walking home.

I remember I went to see people having some kendo lessons. There was a school where we used to go in the morning, we all lined up in the yard and we'd do exercise like they do in Japan, I guess. Then also used to have movie nights, they used to show movies at night outside, and we used to bring food and enjoy our movie.


Crystal City internment camp Department of Justice camps Japanese Peruvians movies sports swimming Texas United States World War II World War II camps

Date: September 20, 2019

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Tom Ikeda and Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum and Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

George Kazuharu Naganuma was born in Lima, Peru to his Issei parents in 1938. His family were forced to board a ship, to be incarcerated at Crystal City, Texas, during World War II. They remained there even after the war had ended, without a place to go. They were able to leave via a sponsorship by a reverend in San Francisco, California, where they were able to find jobs and housing. George joined the Boy Scouts in San Francisco and was able to visit Japan with his troop. He joined the U.S. Army and worked as a clerical typist. (June 2020)

Willie Ito
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Ito,Willie

The Dopey bank that survived the war

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

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Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
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Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Evacuated to the Jungle

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

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Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
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Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Captured by Guerillas after bombing of Pearl Harbor

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

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Robert T. Fujioka
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Fujioka,Robert T.

Grandfather picked up by US Army

(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Okinawan Americans

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Tom Yuki
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Yuki,Tom

Father's business partner operated their farming business during WWII

(b. 1935) Sansei businessman.

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Tom Yuki
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Yuki,Tom

Father was convinced the constitution would protect him

(b. 1935) Sansei businessman.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

General reasons why people left Japan for Peru

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Michelle Yamashiro
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Yamashiro,Michelle

Working together in Okinawa using three languages

Okinawan American whose parents are from Peru.

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Fumiko Hachiya Wasserman
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Wasserman,Fumiko Hachiya

The lack of discussion about family’s incarceration in Amache

Sansei judge for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California

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Kay Sekimachi
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Sekimachi,Kay

Family that saved her belongings during World War II

(b. 1926) Artist

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Takayo Fischer
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Fischer,Takayo

Her Approach to Preparing for Roles

(b. 1932) Nisei American stage, film, and TV actress

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Mitsuye Yamada
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Yamada,Mitsuye

Grateful for The Quakers’ help in camp and finding jobs outside of camp

(b. 1923) Japanese American poet, activist

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Mitsuye Yamada
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Yamada,Mitsuye

Her brother’s reasons as a No-No Boy

(b. 1923) Japanese American poet, activist

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Holly J. Fujie
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Fujie,Holly J.

Her grandfather was pressured to teach Japanese

Sansei judge on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California

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