Interviews
Classified 4C - enemy alien
It was in January of ’42. I volunteered for the United States Air Force. And the requirements at that time were you had to have one year of college, which I just had. And had to pass a written examination and then the physical and so I was ready to be inducted and I went out to the air base and at that time, they rejected me because of my background, my ancestry. I appealed this rejection with my attorney – a fellow by the name of Paul Patterson, who was in Hillsboro and I’d known his because of our dealings in the past. Paul Patterson later became the governor of Oregon. He appealed for me, but it didn’t do any good. I was classified 4C the rest of the years.
I*: And 4C stands for?
Yeah.
I: What does 4C stand for?
Oh, it’s enemy alien.
* “I” indicates an interviewer (Akemi Kikumura Yano).
Date: December 6, 2005
Location: Oregon, US
Interviewer: Akemi Kikumura Yano
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.
Explore More Videos
Influence of Mexican culture after returning from camp
(b. 1943) Japanese American transgender attorney
A conversation with a farmer in Kansas
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Dancing in Japan as an American, in the US as Japanese
(1918-2023) Nisei Japanese kabuki dancer
Discrimination in San Francisco
(1914–2015) Nisei YMCA and Japanese American community leader
Collection of artifacts depicting racial stereotypes influences art
(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor
Encountering racial discrimination at a public swimming pool
(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.
His testimony has more credibility because of his race
(1922 - 2005) Former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer
Gender discrimination in education field
(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i
Learned what it meant to be called “Jap” in Heart Mountain
(1934–2018) Japanese American designer, educator, and pioneer of media technologies
First impression of New York City during war time
(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement
The day Pearl Harbor was bombed
(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.
Not bringing shame to family
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Past ties to present situation in Middle East
(1926 - 2012) Scholar and professor of anthropology. Leader in the establishment of ethnic studies as an academic discipline
Didn't have rights that whites had
(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.
Californians didn't know about evacuation
(1922–2014) Political and civil rights activist.