<Begin Segment 12>

AI: Well, so as the, as your, the school year was going on, did you get any information about what was happening to you or why you were in this camp or what was going to happen to your family?

AS: Well, we knew a little bit because of my grandparents, that they were sent to Japan. So we figure... although I didn't because I was only a kid so I didn't worry too much. But I guess my parents probably thought that we were going to be sent to Japan, too, eventually.

AI: And did you have any discussion about that, or did your parents say anything?

AS: No, they didn't say anything.

AI: Because I had heard from some other people that -- some Japanese American Nisei -- who their parents thought they might have to go to Japan and so they were encouraging them to learn their Japanese and study really hard because if they did have to go to Japan they'd have to be more fluent.

AS: Uh-huh.

AI: Did you recall any discussion like that?

AS: No, although, although our parents, they, they sent us to the Japanese school because English wasn't used much in Peru in those days. So, at least my parents, anyway, whether we go to Japan or we go back to Peru, they figure Japanese was gonna be useful. So that's the reason that they were pushing us for, to study and learn Japanese.

AI: Well, let's see then, in 1944 you turned fourteen?

AS: Uh-huh.

AI: And it sounds like you had a very active life with the school and then sports activities?

AS: In camp?

AI: Uh-huh.

AS: Oh yeah, yeah.

AI: And then later on you got the job with delivering the mail?

AS: Uh-huh.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.