<Begin Segment 9>

AI: Well, in fact, you did write in your diary also about getting ready to leave Portland...

TI: Yeah.

AI: ...when the news came out that, not just rumors anymore, but that you, the Japanese and Japanese Americans were actually going to be removed...

TI: Yes.

AI: ...and so-called "evacuated." Well, can you tell me about the first procedures? I guess every family had to register...

TI: Yes.

AI: ...beforehand? And what was entailed there?

TI: Well, chaos, request was made for volunteers to help set the place up. So naturally I volunteered, as I always did, and then, I didn't know that the whole family had to go at the same time, though. But we did. And once I got in, there was, I found a telephone that was still working. So I called some of my friends, saying, "Bring more stuff" -- [laughs] -- because we could only bring what we could carry. So I was big enough so I could carry a duffel bag full of stuff. But it was, it was confusion about what to bring, what not to bring because we didn't know where we were going.

AI: Do you recall anything about what you did finally decide to bring?

TI: Well, my diary, empty diary, and that's the only saving thing I brought with me because I couldn't bring the scrapbooks. [Laughs]

AI: What did you and your family do with all your belongings in your house?

TI: We were fortunate. We had a Filipino husband and a Caucasian wife staying at our place, the front room, so we asked them to take care of the apartment. So they did. So we had one small room we put our stuff in, and so it wasn't disturbed. So we were very fortunate to be able to come back to that house and start life again in Portland.

AI: Later on.

TI: Yeah.

AI: But during this time of having to register your family, and -- you received a number, that's when you received a number?

TI: Yes, 15015, and my understanding was, Portland area is 1500 series. And I was the fifteenth person to sign up. And so I was given responsibility managing all the dairy products. As a high school student, I had no concept of -- [laughs] -- counting (and distributing) the amount of milk we had, and cheese and butter, (and) eggs.

AI: And that was at the assembly center?

TI: Yeah, 'cause I volunteered for that, too. So I was lucky. I got $12 a month on that one.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.