Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Asano Terao Interview II
Narrator: Asano Terao
Interviewers: Tomoyo Yamada (primary), Dee Goto (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: May 26, 1998
Densho ID: denshovh-tasano-02-0021

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[Translated from Japanese]

DG: Please put it in the tape what Kibei people were like. Please explain what Kibei is.

AT: Kibei are those who received education in Japan, and this country, they graduated from high school and came to this country. They had a physical examination for conscription, right? They were dual citizens.

TY: They were born here, weren't they?

AT: In general, Kibei were dual citizens. They had the citizenship in the U.S. They were born in the U.S., and they were sent to Japan and received Japanese education because the parents thought they should receive Japanese education, and when they become certain age, they would be taken if they were in Japan. They escaped to the U.S. There were many people like that. Those people like both Japan and the U.S. But, if there was a war that they were likely to lose, they wouldn't want to go to Japan to enter the Army, right? So, they entered the Army here. Three of my friends all went into the Army here. But, there was a war in Europe, and one was killed in action. I felt sorry for him. I said, "Well, he devoted himself to this country. He devoted himself to Amerika, and you still have one boy, so try to give up, Mrs. Okazaki. It must be impossible to give up, though." He was a very good boy. So, she cried and cried. But, I said, "Cry as much as you can. But, you still have one good boy left, and he will take care of you." But, both parents passed away. After they came back from the camp. So, it was like that. They became soldiers for the U.S., and went to Europe and died in battle. Also, they didn't send Japanese to Japan as much as possible. The U.S. did it that way. They sent them to Europe. But, Japan, back then, Japan was saying good things about there. The hakujin's newspapers and the Japanese newspapers were different.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.