<Begin Segment 28>

AI: Well, speaking of work and all of the services that were provided by the Nisei and other camp residents, I understand that in November of 1942, there was an incident where a, a Nisei was suspected of being an -- a so-called inu, a dog or informer or someone who was perhaps seen as cooperating with camp authorities, possibly naming other Japanese Americans as possibly "subversive," so-called. And I understand that he was beaten, and right after that, a number of Nisei were picked up and arrested as suspects in this incident.

GY: Uh-huh.

AI: And that in reaction to that, a number of Nisei went on a general strike, a, stopped work, stopped providing services, except for some emergency services.

GY: Uh-huh.

AI: And I wonder what you recall of that time?

GY: Uh-huh. Well, I was politically naive and just a rather youthful teenager who was very much concerned with my own daily life and not really concerned about what was happening. I recall bonfires late at night, burning, people standing around. And there was a strike, and people didn't go to work. In my case, I worked in the hospital, and that was a necess -- necessary kind of work. And so we didn't go on strike. So my life did not change at all. And I was not very much involved with what was happening. Sort of a political kind of situation. I didn't quite understand what was happening, but I was not curious enough to, to investigate the situation to see who was doing what, whether it was correct or not correct. Just a young, naive guy doing, carrying on with his daily life.

<End Segment 28> - Copyright © 2002 Densho. All Rights Reserved.