<Begin Segment 21>

LH: So you arrived at Manzanar on April first. Were you taken straight away to your quarters? To your barracks?

FH: Oh yes, uh-huh. I don't know if you walked or... I'm sure we must have walked to our barrack. I'm not sure. There were a lot of Japanese there all ready, working on the, volunteers working on the barracks. But they were still building them.

LH: Was the section that was set aside for Bainbridge Island people all ready? Was that done?

FH: Well, for that, far as the roof goes. But after we moved they, we move into empty barrack, I think they had give us straw and cots, there're cots there. Gee, I don't know.

LH: Now, what was the straw for?

FH: Hmm?

LH: What was the straw for?

FH: For the mattress. We didn't have no mattress until...

LH: Can you describe for me the inside of your barracks?

FH: We brought, I think we brought sheets. They sure didn't give it to us.

LH: So there was no bedding that they...

FH: Cot.

LH: I see. Okay. And, what were the other furnishings in the room?

FH: Then they got a mattress, thin mattress later, I guess. I don't know. Just, I can't remember, I guess I just can't say.

LH: Because you were pregnant at the time, were there any special considerations given to you because you were a pregnant woman?

FH: Yes, they said I could stay until the baby comes, if I want to stay in Seattle.

LH: Oh, really?

FH: But I wanted to be with the family. So I refused.

LH: Do you mean that only you could have stayed, and not your husband or your children?

FH: Just me. So I chose to go with the family.

LH: I see. It's quite an undertaking while you're pregnant.

FH: Yeah, I don't know. I wasn't scared. Just more concerned about the family than, I think. They asked me if I want to stay.

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.