<Begin Segment 4>

PW: So do you know, for families in Alameda, when the announcement is made that you're going to have to leave Alameda, what happened? I understand that Alameda was one of the earlier communities that had to evacuate the island because of the military importance of Alameda? Do you know anything about this?

KY: That Grandma went... I had the feeling that, it's sort of vague in my memory, but I think they may have gone to stay with some friends in Oakland. Not that that helped, I don't know if that would have helped, but I think that they went with another family in Oakland. In fact, there was a friend at Alameda, I've seen her in the pictures, who went up to Sacramento be with, maybe relatives. And they wanted Mom's family to go up there, but they didn't want to do that.

PW: Was there a Civil Control Station where you know if the family had to register or anything in Alameda?

KY: I have no idea.

PW: So they were in Oakland when they eventually had to move completely out.

KY: I think so, I think.

PW: Do you know anything about -- again, this is your mother's family...

KY: Yeah, Dad's family I know more.

PW: For your mom's family though, do you know anything about how they went from this house in Oakland, or who the family was?

KY: Ben and something Ninomiya. Ninomiya, I think.

PW: And then from there, did they go to Tanforan?

KY: Tanforan.

PW: Okay. Then let's go to your dad's side, because they both ended up in the same, Tanforan and Topaz.

KY: Right. See, somehow the Yatabe side talked more about it, so I know more. But I know that my father got his parents all organized and he sold his stuff, he closed the shoe shop. They arranged, they knew somebody at the American Trust Bank on San Pablo who was gonna collect rent, and they rented the house to a Mexican family who stayed there the whole time. They decided to all gather in Redwood City where my uncle Tak was living, and his wife, my Auntie Kuni, had family there, they were growers. So they all gathered in Redwood City, so that they all could go up to the same place. But other things about my father was that he had made a bow and arrow, and he took that to the police, and they're kind of like, "So what were you doing?" And my father being such a good man, he said, "Well, you know, we're supposed to turn in all weapons," so he had to turn in his handmade... and then the other thing was, of course, the dog, was his dog Pete. So my father, being this loner person, and the baby in the family, and he didn't get along with his older sister who was three years older. At fifteen, I don't know how it happened, but he got a dog who he would say was the love of his life. This is before he met my mother. And he has this dog, it's like a, one of these shaggy, pretty good-sized shaggy dog. And so he said that, you know, getting ready for the relocation, he had to put the dog down because he said he couldn't give him away because the dog only ate white rice, and so therefore no one would take him, and so he put the dog down at Berkeley Humane.

PW: Was your father the only one living with his parents by that time?

KY: Yeah.

PW: Did he tell you about going to the Berkeley Civil Control Station?

KY: No, no. Actually, I've never heard. Except for when he turned in his bow and arrow.

PW: What about boarding the buses to Tanforan or anything?

KY: No, because they did it from Redwood City, but I have not heard.

PW: Oh, that's true.

KY: I have not heard. And I haven't heard, I don't recall them saying anything about the conditions at Tanforan. I don't remember them saying much about that.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2022 Densho. All Rights Reserved.