<Begin Segment 31>

JA: And you kind of touched on the fact that your husband, through his JACL activities, helped provide information for the evacuation. So where, what is your recollection of what you... of when you first heard of Pearl Harbor?

MH: When we heard of Pearl Harbor we were home, and the kids came yelling and saying, "Oh, my goodness. Japan has bombed the United States." He says, "Oh, no. It can't be. We don't believe that," and, but by gum, it was true. It was blast all over the newspaper that came out and everything so we had to accept it, whatever -- my husband came home and he said, "Yeah, that's true, dear." So we were all just kind of stunned to hear such a thing that had happened.

JA: You were stunned. So there was no anticipation of any difficulties?

MH: No, not at that, not at that moment. No.

JA: Had you or the Nikkei community in Bellevue been paying attention to Japan's activities in the Pacific?

MH: No, we weren't, no we weren't aware of that or anything like that. But the minute the Isseis got, started to be picked up by the FBI, then we got panicky, is what we did, because Bellevue had about four men that were picked up by the FBI right away. And so then, we got all panicky and says, "Oh, my goodness. It really has happened. Things are starting to happen in Bellevue," and, of course, Seattle kept us well-informed through Muts.

JA: So these four men that were picked up, did you hear from them?

MH: Not after they were taken, no. No one knew where they were taken or anything like that. Even the family didn't know.

JA: So this must have again caused quite a bit of concern within the community.

MH: Yes, it was quite concerned, yeah.

JA: It must have been a lot of conjecture...

MH: Uh-huh.

JA: And rumors.

MH: Yeah, that's right. It would be. No, they were concerned. They didn't know where they were taken or anything like that. Didn't know why they were taken, either. That was another answer they didn't have.

JA: So, do you recall conversations in your family in the evenings about...

MH: About them or anything like that?

JA: Yes.

MH: No, we weren't... no.

JA: But did you notice a change in the community's emotions?

MH: Of the community, in the Caucasian community?

JA: The Caucasian community and the Nikkei community, both.

MH: And the Japanese community? Oh yeah, there was, oh yes, there would be. Because they were concerned, wondering what's gonna happen next, is what it is... "because we are Japanese." You know, the Isseis are all saying that.

JA: So there was a lot of anxiety.

MH: Yes, there was at the time.

JA: But you did not... did you notice any change in the Bellevue Caucasian community toward the Nikkei community?

MH: No, I didn't notice it in that way at all, because they were all just real good friends, so there was no feeling with them, they just were kind of sympathetic that such a thing had happened.

<End Segment 31> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.