Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Mitsuko Hashiguchi Interview
Narrator: Mitsuko Hashiguchi
Interviewer: James Arima
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Date: July 28, 1998
Densho ID: denshovh-hmitsuko-01-0060

<Begin Segment 60>

JA: And during this time, was there any discussion on what was going to happen to you, how long you were going to be there?

MH: Oh, yes, many discussions was had like that. And then those people there were interned for... that were taken by the FBI never came home. Some of them came home eventually to the camp, but some of them didn't come home at all for a long time. So then they're wondering about them, they're worried, concerned about them wondering when they are coming home, where are they, what happened.

JA: So there was still very little information...

MH: Information.

JA: About their whereabouts.

MH: Yeah. Until the very... later, until real late. Then they were notified, I think, that they were at certain, certain camp and they were able to communicate with Dad and Mom and things like that, I understand.

JA: So even though you had all these social activities going on to try to keep busy...

MH: Their mind is always worrying about them and then worrying about their kids in Japan. Most of them all had kids in Japan or something like that, so that was their concern, too. Plus they do the best they can and they were keeping busy. I know they were sewing and going to singing classes and studying. And I think, in fact, some people were teaching Japanese or flower arrangement and things like that.

JA: So for the adults that had responsibility, in spite of the social activities that they kept busy with...

MH: They didn't have a big responsibility.

JA: They still had, it was a very stressful time.

MH: Oh yes, very stressful time, yes, that's right. And they still were, some of them were working in the kitchen or someplace or canteen or someplace if there is a job they were working out there, too, the Isseis were, too.

JA: So, but then, like, like the teenagers who may not have gotten to the point of responsibility of that nature --

MH: No, they had fun. They had fun playing.

JA: They could just, they could just concentrate on the fun.

MH: Yeah, that's right. It's more or less that's what it was.

JA: So their memories of camp are probably much different.

MH: It's different, it's different, completely different from the rest of us. Yes, it is.

<End Segment 60> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.