Kenji Onishi Interview Segment 6

Family background and description of siblings (ddr-one-7-62-1) - 00:03:49
Father's work for the railroad after immigrating to the U.S. (ddr-one-7-62-2) - 00:05:28
Parents' arranged marriage (ddr-one-7-62-3) - 00:06:52
Father's involvement in community activities (ddr-one-7-62-4) - 00:05:24
Description of mother (ddr-one-7-62-5) - 00:05:51
Description of childhood home: a boxcar (ddr-one-7-62-6) - 00:08:58
Spending childhood living in a railyard (ddr-one-7-62-7) - 00:09:10
Father's generosity during the Great Depression (ddr-one-7-62-8) - 00:09:41
Attending elementary school (ddr-one-7-62-9) - 00:06:32
Parents' values: the importance of education (ddr-one-7-62-10) - 00:05:35
Moving into parents' hotel (ddr-one-7-62-11) - 00:07:38
Hearing about the bombing of Pearl Harbor (ddr-one-7-62-12) - 00:10:03
Returning to school after the bombing of Pearl Harbor (ddr-one-7-62-13) - 00:06:30
Father passes away one week before Executive Order 9066 (ddr-one-7-62-14) - 00:10:05
Coping after loss of father (ddr-one-7-62-15) - 00:07:19
First impressions of the Portland Assembly Center (ddr-one-7-62-16) - 00:08:56
Asserting independence in camp (ddr-one-7-62-17) - 00:06:43
Memories of the train ride to Minidoka (ddr-one-7-62-18) - 00:03:11
Serving in the military (ddr-one-7-62-19) - 00:08:52
Meeting Japanese Americans from different areas in camp (ddr-one-7-62-20) - 00:04:28
Attending school in camp (ddr-one-7-62-21) - 00:04:28
Becoming the target of a racist incident after the war (ddr-one-7-62-22) - 00:08:57
Leaving camp to work in Twin Falls, Idaho (ddr-one-7-62-23) - 00:04:35
Attending college and deciding to become a teacher (ddr-one-7-62-24) - 00:05:37
Becoming a teacher (ddr-one-7-62-25) - 00:07:17
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Japanese American Museum of Oregon
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ddr-one-7-62-6 (Legacy UID: denshovh-okenji-01-0006)

Description of childhood home: a boxcar

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

00:08:58 — Segment 6 of 25

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March 21, 2014

Japanese American Museum of Oregon Visual History Collection

Japanese American Museum of Oregon Collection

Courtesy of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon

Japanese American Museum of Oregon
Visit partner

ddr-one-7-62

Kenji Onishi

Kenji Onishi Interview

02:51:59 — 25 segments

March 21, 2014

Seattle, Washington

Nisei male. Born April 24, 1927, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in the Portland area, where father worked for the railroad. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, served in the military and eventually returned to Portland and became a teacher.

(This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.)

Tom Ikeda, interviewer; Dana Hoshide, videographer

Japanese American Museum of Oregon Collection

Courtesy of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon

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