<Begin Segment 45>

MK: [Jpn.] Oh, after the war started and before we left for camp, we left with our neighbor... what did my husband leave with them at that time? We don't know. He left something with the neighbor. He left with them something we couldn't take to the camp.

TY:[Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] But there was nothing when we returned. They used everything they could use. Because we weren't coming back. We locked the house after putting all the things in one room. We locked the house, but...

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] The people we asked to look after our house opened our house and used everything.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] Was that your neighbor?

MK: [Jpn.] The people who moved in later...

TY: [Jpn.] Oh, I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Uh-huh, yeah. We bought a new machine. We installed a brand new washing machine. But if you use it for four years, the new one is not new anymore. See? Nothing is new.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah. Oh, you had that kind of thing.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. We did. Also a car.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] A car we just bought. We trusted our neighbor who was very kind to us. Because we couldn't take it with us, we left this new car with him. With our neighbor. I was told later that he used the car for hunting and other things. He used that car as if it were his. But we couldn't complain. Because we were the ones who left it with him.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah.

MK: [Jpn.] Those were our experiences. Uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] Well, besides those stories, do you remember any discriminatory incidents against you personally?

MK: [Jpn.] What?

TY: [Jpn.] Well, did you have any other uncomfortable experiences?

MK: [Jpn.] You mean after we returned?

TY: [Jpn.] No, before the war.

MK: [Jpn.] Before the war.

TY: [Jpn.] No, right after the war started. Before you went to the camp.

MK: [Jpn.] Oh, I see. But once the war started, we didn't go out very much.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Nothing in particular. We couldn't even visit our neighbors any more. Because of that thing with the Caucasians.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] That's not a wise thing to do.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. So we just stayed home and didn't go visit the Caucasian neighbors.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah.

<End Segment 45> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.