A child's memories of activities at Crystal City, Texas
Oh, night and day, just night and day. For one, our family was back together. That meant a lot to everybody in the family. So my mom was out of bed. She was happy. She was just great. My father, he was not -- he never turned into the stern man my mom said that he was going turn into. [Laughs] One of the first things that the kids did was open up his suitcase and found that he had comic books, and that was so delightful because my mom says my father is so serious. He's not going to tolerate us reading comic books anymore, and he had comic books. [Laughs]
The entire atmosphere was different. There really was a sense of community. There was all kinds of activities. We had sumo wrestling. We had shiginkai, we had... I was involved in Japanese shibai, plays. The schools were involved in stuff. The churches were involved. My sister used to wake up at 5:00, 5:30 in the morning, and go to taisou classes where they would exercise and keep their body fit. It was, my memory of Crystal City actually is a happy, happy memory. The family was happy, everybody, the surrounding seemed to be functioning. There was no gloom and despair and ugliness that there was in Minidoka. To me, it was a fun time.
Date: May 27, 1998
Location: Washington, US
Interviewer: Lori Hoshino
Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.
Explore More Videos
Sugar beet and potato farming in Idaho
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Recalling Pinedale and Tule Lake concentration camps
Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.
On the Impact of the Camp Experience
(b. 1942) The first Asian American woman judge
A memorable CWRIC testimony of an unjust situation
Judge, only Japanese American to serve on CWRIC.
Being called out of Reserves
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Fort Snelling
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Traveling from Manila to Tokyo
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Camp stories impact on her career
Sansei judge on the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California
Concentration camp from a Japanese mother’s point of view (Japanese)
Shin-Issei from Gifu. Recently received U.S. citizenship
Fair Play Committee
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
Wanting to take a stand
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
Ostracized by the camp newspapers
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
Arrested in camp for trying to leave
(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee
Donating clothes to the Japanese interns (Japanese)
(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration
Interrogation by police (Japanese)
(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration