May Ota Higa Interview Segment 5

Father's immigration story: illegally entering U.S. as a contract laborer (ddr-densho-1000-174-1) - 00:07:59
Father's entrepreneurial spirit: becoming a "hotel king" (ddr-densho-1000-174-2) - 00:04:01
Mother's reluctance to immigrate to U.S., resourcefulness upon arrival (ddr-densho-1000-174-3) - 00:04:11
Description of siblings (ddr-densho-1000-174-4) - 00:03:17
Suffering financial difficulties during the Great Depression (ddr-densho-1000-174-5) - 00:04:28
(ddr-densho-1000-174-6) - 00:00:54
Description of childhood neighborhood and recreational activities (ddr-densho-1000-174-7) - 00:05:58
Memories of attending church as a child (ddr-densho-1000-174-8) - 00:03:02
Fond memories of grade school; being discouraged by a counselor from applying for college (ddr-densho-1000-174-9) - 00:05:16
Moving to Ellensburg, Washington, and attending college; experiencing discrimination by a professor (ddr-densho-1000-174-10) - 00:06:29
Memories of daily life in Ellensburg, Washington (ddr-densho-1000-174-11) - 00:03:26
Experiencing discrimination, prewar: barred from restaurants (ddr-densho-1000-174-12) - 00:04:12
Memories of prewar interracial friendships (ddr-densho-1000-174-13) - 00:08:33
Difficulty finding a teaching job, deciding to go to Japan (ddr-densho-1000-174-14) - 00:04:04
Experiences living and teaching in Japan (ddr-densho-1000-174-15) - 00:09:17
(ddr-densho-1000-174-16) - 00:03:01
Hearing of the bombing of Pearl Harbor while visiting with Japanese American soldiers (ddr-densho-1000-174-17) - 00:03:03
Restrictions after the bombing of Pearl Harbor; first impressions of Puyallup Assembly Center (ddr-densho-1000-174-18) - 00:02:59
Difficulties with mother's mental health condition in camp (ddr-densho-1000-174-19) - 00:06:55
Leaving camp for Chicago: experiencing housing discrimination (ddr-densho-1000-174-20) - 00:05:46
Description of siblings' post-camp experiences (ddr-densho-1000-174-21) - 00:02:27
Experiencing discrimination during job interviews (ddr-densho-1000-174-22) - 00:06:55
Experiences in New York: being interviewed by the War Department (ddr-densho-1000-174-23) - 00:04:41
Meeting an influential teacher and mentor at Columbia University (ddr-densho-1000-174-24) - 00:05:29
Meeting husband, getting married (ddr-densho-1000-174-25) - 00:05:10
(ddr-densho-1000-174-26) - 00:02:09
Returning to Seattle, having children (ddr-densho-1000-174-27) - 00:03:45
Message for future generations: importance of compassion and integrity (ddr-densho-1000-174-28) - 00:02:31
Reaction to September 11, 2001 (ddr-densho-1000-174-29) - 00:03:33
Free to use This object is offered under a Creative Commons license. You are free to use it for any non-commercial purpose as long as you properly cite it, and if you share what you have created.

Learn more...

ddr-densho-1000-174-5 (Legacy UID: denshovh-hmay-01-0005)

Suffering financial difficulties during the Great Depression

00:04:28 — Segment 5 of 29

Previous segment Next segment

December 17, 2004

Densho Visual History Collection

Densho

Courtesy of Densho

ddr-densho-1000-174

May Ota Higa

May Ota Higa Interview

02:13:31 — 29 segments

December 17, 2004

Seattle, Washington

Nisei female. Born March 14, 1916, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle and Ellensburg, Washington, before going to Japan to teach just prior to the onset of World War II. Returned to Seattle in 1941, and was removed with family to Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After the war, resettled in Chicago, Illinois, and New York before returning to raise a family in Seattle, Washington.

Tom Ikeda, interviewer; Dana Hoshide, videographer

Densho

Courtesy of Densho

API