Tomiye Terasaki

Kibei female. Born October 5, 1910, in San Francisco, California. At age three, sent to live with grandfather and receive education in Fukuoka, Japan. After high school, temporarily moved to Tokyo and assisted family-owned business. In 1929, returned to U.S. to join parents in Sacramento. After arranged marriage to Mr. Tadao Sakita, moved to Los Angeles, raised three children and jointly ran a successful cafe. Returned to Sacramento after the bombing of Pearl Harbor to be with family in 1942, until all persons of Japanese ancestry were removed from West Coast. Gave birth to a son while at Tule Lake concentration camp, California. After the war, returned to Los Angeles, and converted to Christianity. Remarried to Mr. Terasaki after first husband's death. At the time of the interview, Mrs. Terasaki resided in Los Angeles, making and repairing Japanese calligraphy scrolls.

Interviews

Tomiye Terasaki Interview — ddr-densho-1000-122
July 3, 2000. Seattle, Washington.
01:03:58 — 19 segments.
Tomiye Terasaki
API