Amache Stories and Memories
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Noboru Hashimoto Interview
Noboru Hashimoto Phone Interview
Wednesday, May 10, 2017, 7:30 p.m.-8:20 p.m.
Edited with Nob's corrections
FP: How old were you when you were sent to Amache in 1942?
NH: 15
FP: Where did you live before Amache?
NH: Winton
FP Who was in your family?
NH Parents Juichi and Chiyoko Hashimoto; my brothers were Fred, William and Ben and my sister was Sumiko.
FP What did your family do for a living before Amache?
NH Farming - boys helped; growing grapes, almonds, just bought land 40 acres planted peaches a year before evacuation
FP Did you get a peach crop in?
NH When we came back from Amache, Mennonite family leased the land and had peach crop on return. The Mennonites returned the land to us in Jan 1945 - he handed it over, and I started to prune the grapes. The Mennonites were friends of my older high school brother [Mennonites have no TV; ok to have computers,no radios]. I farmed until 1980 and then a drove truck, I kept the house, but came to retirement community, so wife wouldn't have to cook any more [now 90 and half years old].
FP Where in Japan did your grandparents come from?
NH Hiroshima
FP When and why grandparents came?
NH My father's side, grandpa came to Hawaii, worked in cane field then moved to States and worked on the Yosemite RR, when that was finished, he moved to another community north--Winters-- and farmed fruit until 1936, retired and most Issei wanted enough money to build a house; aliens could not own land - he went back to Hiroshima - was there during the bombing. Built a brand new house. Atom bomb blew house away with Grandma in it.
The other side of the family, mother's side, was bigshot at City Hall in Hiroshima City. All our kin were gone from the bomb except Grandma who lived to age 106.
FP How did they choose California to live
NJ I don't know why
Based on this original
Noboru Hashimoto Interview Noboru Hashimoto Phone Interview Wednesday, May 10, 2017, 7:30 p.m.-8:20 p.m. More » |