Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/348/

Apprehension about leaving camp

Because I was reluctant to leave, they were trying to push me out, because they said, Well, your two children are out. You've got to leave camp. And I said, "Well, I can't leave my mother and dad here by themselves." And they said, "Well, don't worry, because Hank was gonna come and get them," so I finally... I had quite a debate with my daughter, because I didn't want to go Chicago, but she did. I wanted to come back to Seattle. No, she wanted to go to a big city. She was just bent on going -- we got in a terrible argument.

So I had to go before a counselor, which was very unpleasant for me, because they were all trying to get me out. So there was just no way that I was gonna win. But I didn't want go because I was afraid, for one thing. You know, you don't have any money and you don't have no experience, you're working in a strange city. In the first place, I didn't like cities. But they finally forced me out and I had to go.


imprisonment incarceration resettlements

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)

 

George Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,George

Encountering a train full of Japanese Americans being transported to a concentration camp

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Donating clothes to the Japanese interns (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Interrogation by police (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Yumi Matsubara
en
ja
es
pt
Matsubara,Yumi

Concentration camp from a Japanese mother’s point of view (Japanese)

Shin-Issei from Gifu. Recently received U.S. citizenship

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Shimizu
en
ja
es
pt
Shimizu,Henry

Sneaking out of the Hastings Park camp during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

en
ja
es
pt
Venancio Shinki
en
ja
es
pt
Shinki,Venancio

Hiding out to avoid the concentration camps (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

en
ja
es
pt
Venancio Shinki
en
ja
es
pt
Shinki,Venancio

Closing the Japanese school and deportation (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

en
ja
es
pt
Gordon Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Hirabayashi,Gordon

A Dutiful Son

(1918-2012) Fought the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066.

en
ja
es
pt
Gordon Hirabayashi
en
ja
es
pt
Hirabayashi,Gordon

Bypassing the Constitution

(1918-2012) Fought the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066.

en
ja
es
pt
Sue Embrey
en
ja
es
pt
Embrey,Sue

The Perspective of Youth

(1923–2006) Community activist. Co-founded the Manzanar Committee

en
ja
es
pt
Cherry Kinoshita
en
ja
es
pt
Kinoshita,Cherry

Erasing the Bitterness

(1923–2008) One of the leaders behind the redress movement.

en
ja
es
pt
Bill Hosokawa
en
ja
es
pt
Hosokawa,Bill

A Reporter’s Responsibility

(1915 - 2007) Journalist

en
ja
es
pt
Peter Irons
en
ja
es
pt
Irons,Peter

Lesson to be Learned

(b. 1940) Attorney, Coram nobis cases.

en
ja
es
pt
Chiye Tomihiro
en
ja
es
pt
Tomihiro,Chiye

Too Ashamed to Tell

Chaired the Chicago JACL's Redress Committee.

en
ja
es
pt
William Marutani
en
ja
es
pt
Marutani,William

Recalling Pinedale and Tule Lake concentration camps

Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.

en
ja
es
pt