Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Fumiko Hayashida Interview
Narrator: Fumiko Hayashida
Interviewers: Lori Hoshino (primary), Alice Ito (secondary)
Location: Bainbridge Island, Washington
Date: March 16, 1998
Densho ID: denshovh-hfumiko-01-0027

<Begin Segment 27>

LH: Okay. In February, of the next year, the group from Bainbridge Island was transferred from Manzanar up to Minidoka, Idaho. Do you know a reason behind that?

FH: That was just a volunteer you know, you don't have to. We went to Minidoka 'cause my sister was in Minidoka. She had, her husband was detained and she was all by herself with, well she had about five children. So we figured we'd better be together with her, help her. So we decided to move to Minidoka. There was some friends there too, Seattleites. Manzanar was all California people. Although they're nice people too -- camp was nicer because it was established, I understand, they were putting running water in the garden, everything like that.

AI: Now I understand that, this was about a year later and still some of the husbands were, had been, who had been taken away, they were still separated? Is that right?

FH: Most of 'em came back.

AI: Some of them didn't?

FH: But, like Arima -- that's my sister -- soon as we moved then, (he) was the editor of newspaper. You know Arima? Seattle newspaper -- Hokubei?

AI: Hokubei?

FH: Yeah. He was detained out in Crystal City, Texas. I guess that was really a prisoner for the, I heard some people from Peru, South America was there, and it was just like Japan. They learn Japanese.

LH: Was he allowed, was that particular person allowed to join families at the relocation camps?

FH: Yes, my sister took her family to join him, Crystal City.

LH: I see.

FH: That's where James Arima was born.

LH: I see.

FH: Uh-huh. James, yeah, he was born. We used to call him "Texan."

LH: In your opinion you thought that Minidoka had a little bit better facilities -- it was already 'established'?

FH: Uh-huh. Manzanar was.

LH: Manzanar was?

FH: Uh-huh. But Minidoka was -- I guess Manzanar was too hot, but Minidoka was too cold. [Laughs]

LH: Were you prepared for that?

FH: We knew it but not that bad.

<End Segment 27> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.