Interviews
Family separated in the camps
My father became seriously ill, and I was notified that he was very, very sick, so I asked for a request to transfer to his camp [in Jerome]. By that time I had had a little baby girl, my first child born in Manzanar. I went with my daughter to see him and to be transferred. They would not allow my husband to go [with me] at that time because they [the War Relocation Authority administration] said [to him], “He’s not your father. It’s her father.” So we got split at that time and that was a very bad thing that happened in our lives. The day I reached Arkansas, the camp, my father was just being pulled away in an ambulance to go to the [camp] hospital so he got a glimpse of my daughter and that was the first and only time he saw her because he died ten days later, on Christmas morning in camp. It was a pretty bad time for us.
Date: August 26, 1998
Location: Virginia, US
Interviewer: Darcie Iki, Mitchell Maki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Feeling prejudice while looking for jobs
(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
Generosity of the Italians
(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
Invited to teach at Harvard by his boss
(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
The riot in Manzanar
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan
Parents
(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII
Father making shell brooches at Topaz
(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII
The Dopey bank that survived the war
(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII
My daughter couldn’t fit in Japan, so I decided to go back to America (Japanese)
(b. 1936) Shin-issei welding business owner
Evacuated to the Jungle
(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.
Captured by Guerillas after bombing of Pearl Harbor
(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.
Grandfather picked up by US Army
(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii
Father's business partner operated their farming business during WWII
(b. 1935) Sansei businessman.
Father was convinced the constitution would protect him
(b. 1935) Sansei businessman.
The lack of discussion about family’s incarceration in Amache
Sansei judge for the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California