Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/342/

Getting citizenship back

Well, If you married an alien, you lost your citizenship, because all aliens -- especially the Japanese, the Isseis -- they were not allowed to become citizens, therefore they couldn't allow, they couldn't own anything, either. So all the farmers had their children's name on farms or whatever they had, why, they had to put it in their children's name. And we had quite a bit of trouble, because after my sister passed away, then it was put in my brother's name.

He [my husband] was born in Japan, and came to this country as a youngster. So I had to go and apply, I wanted to get my citizenship back, so immediately I went to class; 'course, you had to learn a little bit of history about the United States, then I had to go to court and answer some questions, and I was real happy when I got my citizenship back, and they gave me a little American flag. Of course, we got ribbed a lot about our citizenship when we went to camp, though. But I was real happy to get my citizenship back.


citizenship discrimination governments interpersonal relations politics

Date: September 15-17, 2004

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Alice Ito

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Peggie Nishimura Bain was born on March 31, 1909 in Vashon, Washington. Her family was originally from Kumamoto, Japan. She was the second of six children. Married at seventeen, she had two children - a son and a daughter.

At the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she was helping her parents with the three farm properties they owned under her brother's name. She was sent to the Pinedale Assembly Center, before going to Tule Lake, and then eventually Minidoka.

After leaving Minidoka, she relocated with her daughter to Chicago, where she lived for many years working as a full-time colorist in a photography studio, a skill she learned while in camp. She eventually returned to Washington to be near her parents. (September 17, 2004)

 

Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Feeling imprisoned at camp

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

World War II hysteria against Japanese in New York City

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Redress payments to Issei who did not enter camps

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

State Department records show concern for treatment of Japanese American internees

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Lack of support from fellow Nikkei lawyers during the war

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

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Aiko Yoshinaga Herzig
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Herzig,Aiko Yoshinaga

Political motivation to keep the camps open until end of 1944 election

(1924-2018) Researcher, Activist

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Jack Herzig
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Herzig,Jack

His testimony has more credibility because of his race

(1922 - 2005) Former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer

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Vince Ota
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Ota,Vince

Different tension between East Coast and Los Angeles

Japanese American Creative designer living in Japan

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Francis Y. Sogi
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Sogi,Francis Y.

Being an American soldier and an "enemy alien"

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

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Francis Y. Sogi
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Sogi,Francis Y.

Not relating to Japan Americans' experiences on the mainland

(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,Bert A.

Postwar discrimination

(b.1944) Founder of Kobayashi Group, LLC

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Bert A. Kobayashi
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Kobayashi,Bert A.

Less information about Hawai‘i in mainland

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Gene Akutsu
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Akutsu,Gene

A teenager's memories of how a local newspaper misrepresented Japanese Americans

(b. 1925) Draft resister

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Gene Akutsu
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Akutsu,Gene

The role of the media in influencing people's opinions

(b. 1925) Draft resister

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Gene Akutsu
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Akutsu,Gene

Living conditions in prison while serving time for resisting the draft

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