<Begin Segment 19>

DG: What did you take?

RI: Well, I --

DG: Your own things, what did you take?

RI: Well, I sort of remember sorting out my things. Some of the things that I couldn't take I put in a suitcase, and later on I was wondering where that suitcase went to but I don't remember. I don't, I'm sure I didn't have that many things to take anyway other than clothes. But you know, if I was already, let's see, in 1942, so I was already twenty-one. So I should remember more but you know, I did whatever we were supposed to do and helped my family get ready and I sort of remember walking down the hill to meet the bus where everybody else... but what I know is that my father and mother never made any objections about what they were forced to do. I mean they, I don't remember their complaining, their, mostly their attitude was shikata ga nai. And we gotta do what they tell us to do. But that's very Issei mental attitude. They accepted whatever they were told to do and complied with all the orders, despite, was a lot of grievances, but they didn't complain.

DG: Well, so probably, it's harder to remember because they didn't make an issue of things that they --

RI: No, oh, no.

DG: -- that they were treated unfairly or had to leave something.

RI: See they didn't, they, no, never voiced that kind of feeling. I don't remember their ever discussing things, "Well, why should we," you know, "You people are citizens," I don't remember ever their saying those kind of things. I think that they accepted the fact that we were all Japanese and we have to do what the government tells us to do. I think that was their attitude. That's why there was very little antagonism against the government for doing that, among the Isseis. And then we, as children, we were taught by the Isseis, so we were very similar, I think.

DG: So didn't make a --

RI: Except people like Gordon.

DG: Like your mother probably didn't make a fuss as to what she had to sort out at the house, either, then.

RI: Well, maybe she was fussing, but she never voiced it.

DG: Yeah, right.

RI: You know, not to us. She wasn't saying too much as... she might have voiced it to my father but -- no, we just, she's telling us what to do, how to pack, blankets, stuff. And then, by that time there were some people living with us because they didn't want to be separated. There was one family, also Ehime-ken people who had a dry cleaning shop in the university area. And they were afraid that maybe they'll be sent somewhere else so they came to live with us. So I think near the end we were sleeping on the floor just like Japanese-style because all the beds were taken by other people, probably couple of families. Then we had a cousin, our only relatives in the United States was my mother's cousin and their family, and they had a hotel downtown. Well, they didn't want to be separated so they came to live with us, too. So in the end it was pretty hectic, I think. And trying to get rid of all the possessions and packing up. So, I don't remember discussions. They must have discussed it among themselves.

AI: Do you remember getting, having any discussion with your younger sisters or brother, them asking you because they were younger, asking you what was happening or saying anything?

RI: I don't remember. I don't think they asked me anything. Maybe I didn't know. I wish my memory is better for --

DG: Did you go grocery shopping and things at that time?

RI: You know... well, of course there weren't any big supermarkets. The grocery was the corner grocery to buy bread. We had most of our food from the restaurant, so when the restaurant closed... yeah, there was a, there was a grocery store a few blocks away. I'm sure that we went grocery shopping only during the allowed times, not at night. But maybe that grocery store closed, too. But I don't remember ever not having enough food. Because my father, with his restaurant always had food and I remember that even some of our neighbors, you know, at, during Depression times, didn't have much food and my father would bring them a big halibut or something like that from the restaurant and they'd be so happy because, everybody had a big family and they didn't have money. But we never starved for food.

DG: What was valuable at that time? Like, like pictures, I mean, did you, is there any thought about...

RI: Valuable... well, things, I don't know that we had anything of value. We didn't own a lot of things. The only valuable things are our own furniture and clothes and essential things. I don't think we had anything valuable. Maybe my father had money or gold stashed somewhere. I don't know, he never told us that kind of thing. Not, not at that stage, we didn't have any valuables, because it cost too much to raise us. Everybody had a big family. So, I don't remember having anything valuable.

AI: Well, you had started telling about that day that you all were walking down the hill toward the fujin home. Do you remember anything else about actually leaving Seattle and going to Puyallup?

RI: That I should what?

AI: Do you remember anything else about leaving Seattle and going to Puyallup that day that you were all taken?

RI: Well, I think that maybe since we were not the first ones to go to Puyallup, we must have heard some stories about how things were in Puyallup. So maybe we knew what we were going to. I have a feeling that if we were Area D, that might have been one of the last ones to be filled. And if my sister was in Area A, maybe she had already communicated with us about how things were. But I don't remember. I just followed meekly with my parents and did whatever I was told, and didn't protest or, you know.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.