Marion Tsutakawa Kanemoto Interview Segment 40

Family background: father came to United States from Japan to help with the family business (ddr-densho-1000-148-1) - 00:04:53
Parents married in Japan, mother immigrates to United States as a "treaty merchant" (ddr-densho-1000-148-2) - 00:04:29
Birthdate changed by mother due to Japanese customs (ddr-densho-1000-148-3) - 00:02:31
Growing up in Seattle, Washington (ddr-densho-1000-148-4) - 00:03:49
Explanation of names; speaking Japanese while growing up (ddr-densho-1000-148-5) - 00:03:01
Taking lessons as a child: sewing and piano (ddr-densho-1000-148-6) - 00:04:30
Living in Japan for fifteen months as a child (ddr-densho-1000-148-7) - 00:03:58
Returning to the United States, attending junior high school and Japanese language school (ddr-densho-1000-148-8) - 00:02:41
Ethnic composition of students in junior high school: "I was always aware that I was Japanese" (ddr-densho-1000-148-9) - 00:05:31
Generosity of father, description of his eagerness to learn new things (ddr-densho-1000-148-10) - 00:06:20
Holiday celebrations, attending the Episcopal church (ddr-densho-1000-148-11) - 00:03:52
Entrepreneurial spirit of father (ddr-densho-1000-148-12) - 00:03:39
Description of the Pacific Market, father's business (ddr-densho-1000-148-13) - 00:04:21
Participation in kenjinkai activities; advantages of father's wholesale connections (ddr-densho-1000-148-14) - 00:03:19
Little awareness of the war in Europe and Asia before the bombing of Pearl Harbor (ddr-densho-1000-148-15) - 00:01:53
Memories of the bombing of Pearl Harbor: mother's fear of deportation, parents' "demeanor was so different" (ddr-densho-1000-148-16) - 00:04:31
FBI picks up father, ransacks family home (ddr-densho-1000-148-17) - 00:04:35
Visiting father at the immigration office: he passes a clandestine message to mother (ddr-densho-1000-148-18) - 00:05:51
Father sent to Department of Justice camp in Missoula, Montana (ddr-densho-1000-148-19) - 00:02:47
Preparing for mass removal: sadness at selling belongings such as a piano, feeling a slight thrill when buying new suitcases (ddr-densho-1000-148-20) - 00:04:46
Seeing a photo of father being picked up by FBI in local newspaper; coping with life without father (ddr-densho-1000-148-21) - 00:06:26
(ddr-densho-1000-148-22) - 00:01:52
Dealing with the difficulties of living in the Puyallup Assembly Center, new responsibilities as the oldest child at age fourteen (ddr-densho-1000-148-23) - 00:03:58
Moving to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho: MPs with guns, crowded conditions, dust (ddr-densho-1000-148-24) - 00:03:57
Keeping busy in camp: joining a knitting circle, reading magazines (ddr-densho-1000-148-25) - 00:03:11
Attending a makeshift high school in camp: "it was a very sparse situation" (ddr-densho-1000-148-26) - 00:04:24
(ddr-densho-1000-148-27) - 00:02:01
Receiving censored letters from father; feeling the uncertainty of future (ddr-densho-1000-148-28) - 00:05:13
Reunion with father in Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho: "it's a bittersweet situation" (ddr-densho-1000-148-29) - 00:02:34
Leaving for Japan on the SS Gripsholm, part of the U.S. government-sponsored "exchange" (ddr-densho-1000-148-30) - 00:05:49
Stopping in Goa, India, to board the Japanese troop ship Teiya maru; memories of terrible food, Japanese language classes (ddr-densho-1000-148-31) - 00:06:19
Living in father's family home in Japan during the war (ddr-densho-1000-148-32) - 00:06:30
Living in Japan during the war: leaving the family home and moving into a house built by father (ddr-densho-1000-148-33) - 00:05:19
Attending high school in Japan, being singled out as an American (ddr-densho-1000-148-34) - 00:06:14
Adjusting to life as an American in Japan (ddr-densho-1000-148-35) - 00:02:53
Watching as bombs were being dropped on neighboring cities: participating in air raid drills, feeling numb, desensitized (ddr-densho-1000-148-36) - 00:04:14
Participating in military drills in school in Japan; hearing anti-American propaganda from a teacher (ddr-densho-1000-148-37) - 00:05:59
Contracting a serious case of pleurisy, leaving school and working in a factory to help the war effort (ddr-densho-1000-148-38) - 00:03:34
Learning of oldest brother's life in Japan and his participation in the clean up after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima; reaction to hearing of the end of the war (ddr-densho-1000-148-39) - 00:04:52
Father's work as a liaison between the Japanese police and the American occupation forces (ddr-densho-1000-148-40) - 00:02:50
Acting as an interpreter for the American occupation officers who came to the high school (ddr-densho-1000-148-41) - 00:03:14
Attending Doshisha University in Japan after the war; dealing with the scarcity of food (ddr-densho-1000-148-42) - 00:03:54
Working for a U.S. army station hospital library; seizing an opportunity to return to the United States (ddr-densho-1000-148-43) - 00:08:49
Returning to the United States: enrolling in St. Mary's teaching hospital as a student nurse (ddr-densho-1000-148-44) - 00:07:44
Studying at St. Mary's teaching hospital; participating in social activities (ddr-densho-1000-148-45) - 00:03:51
Meeting future husband at a New Year's dance (ddr-densho-1000-148-46) - 00:04:19
Doing research in Washington, D.C. in an attempt to track down and recover father's assets from before the war (ddr-densho-1000-148-47) - 00:02:53
Receiving a letter stating denial of redress, deciding to file a lawsuit (ddr-densho-1000-148-48) - 00:07:02
Filing a class-action lawsuit to receive redress, finally succeeding in 1996 (ddr-densho-1000-148-49) - 00:05:14
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Densho
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SEGMENT ID

ddr-densho-1000-148-40 (Legacy UID: denshovh-kmarion-01-0040)

SEGMENT DESCRIPTION

Father's work as a liaison between the Japanese police and the American occupation forces

00:02:50 — Segment 40 of 49

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DATE

August 3 & 4, 2003

LOCATION

PARENT COLLECTION

Densho Visual History Collection

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CONTRIBUTOR

Densho

PREFERRED CITATION

Courtesy of Densho

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Densho
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INTERVIEW ID

ddr-densho-1000-148

NARRATOR

Marion Tsutakawa Kanemoto

INTERVIEW TITLE

Marion Tsutakawa Kanemoto Interview

03:36:26 — 49 segments

DATE

August 3 & 4, 2003

LOCATION

SeaTac, Washington & Seattle, Washington

DESCRIPTION

Nisei female. Born December 30, 1927, in Seattle, Washington. Lived in Japan for fifteen months as a child, before returning to Seattle to attend junior high school. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, father was picked up by the FBI and taken to the Department of Justice camp at Missoula, Montana. Removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, before being reunited with father at the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Family volunteered to leave for Japan in 1943 on the U.S. government's "exchange ship," the USS Gripsholm. Attended high school in Japan, and participated in military and air raid drills. During the U.S.'s postwar occupation of Japan, attended Doshisha University and worked for a U.S. army station hospital library. Returned to the U.S. and enrolled at St. Mary's teaching hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. Denied redress because of expatriation to Japan, but succeeded in obtaining redress in 1996 after filing a class-action lawsuit.

PRODUCTION

Alice Ito, interviewer; Dana Hoshide, videographer

TOPICS

FACILITY

PERSONS/ORGANIZATIONS

CONTRIBUTOR

Densho

PREFERRED CITATION

Courtesy of Densho

RIGHTS

API