Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1261/

Her grandmother comes to Manzanar

Toward the end, my grandmother was dying. At this place. I don’t know. It’s some, like a convalescence home that they had. And so my grandfather was there too. But, you know, the men’s room and the women’s room, grandpa didn’t care. He used to have my grandmother out in the hall there. And she wanted water but they wouldn’t give her water so he used to get the water and give it to grandmother.

Anyway, towards the end somehow my mother got in contact with Father Leary and, this has been weeks now. So finally we got her back to Manzanar. And that was during the nighttime she came in. And by then, of course, she was half gone anyway, you know. We got her in the hospital and her eyes opened a couple of times, and that was about it.

And the nurse, Akita, turned her over, and you could see the bed sores she had. On her back, around her buttocks. Horrific bed sores. And nurse Akita, she shook her head. She says, my goodness, she says, they didn’t take care of her at all. So she makes this great big thing with this great big donut like, but in the morning she passed on. You could just feel that soreness into you.


California concentration camps families grandfathers grandparents Manzanar concentration camp parents United States World War II World War II camps

Date: May 24, 2011

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Sumiko Kozawa was born in 1916 in Los Angeles. The oldest of five children, Sumi spent three years in Japan before World War II, learning koto, flower arranging, and tea ceremony. Her family’s flower shop, Tokio Florist in Silver Lake, was popular with the Hollywood community because of its fresh flowers and reasonable prices. Sumi not only helped out, but also had the opportunity to meet many people, including famous silent movie star, Greta Garbo. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Sumi and her family were sent to Manzanar. There she helped care for the family, taking care of her grandfather and younger sister. She passed away on December 2016, at age 100. (December 2016)

Yuzawa,George Katsumi

Reaction to a 1942 speech by Mike Masaoka, Japanese American Citizen League's National Secretary

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

Yamaguchi,Kristi

Grandparent's unspoken past

(b.1971) Professional figure skater and Olympic gold medalist.

Akutsu,Gene

Deciding whether to answer "yes-yes" on the loyalty questionnaire in order to leave camp

(b. 1925) Draft resister

Hohri,William

Education in camp

(1927-2010) Political Activist

Morton,Johnnie

Talking with Grandmother

(b.1971) Professional football player.

Yamada,George

Japanese American railroad workers are fired following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

Yamada,George

A racist encounter at a movie theater following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

Tomihiro,Chiye

Too Ashamed to Tell

Chaired the Chicago JACL's Redress Committee.

Hirose,Roberto

Retaining Japanese customs (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

Yoshida,George

Introduction to Jazz

(b. 1922) Musician

Yoshida,George

We’re Still Japanese

(b. 1922) Musician

Todd,Kathryn Doi

On the Impact of the Camp Experience

(b. 1942) The first Asian American woman judge

Hattori,Paula Hoyos

The memory of her grandfather (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

Hattori,Paula Hoyos

Studying Japanese to understand her grandfather (Spanish)

Sansei Argentinean

Hokama,Ryoko

The most memorable day of his life (Japanese)

(b. 1917) Okinawan, Issei Argentinean