<Begin Segment 40>

AI: Oh, well, before going to the assembly center, I wanted to ask you, you just mentioned that sometimes the Issei people would ask you what's in the news. And you were saying that the news was different.

RM: Different, yeah.

AI: So what would you tell them?

RM: Well, I just tell 'em what the Japanese paper said this. Then English write in the paper you could look at it but I don't know whether they could read it. I'm dealing with, not the Nisei but I'm dealing with Isseis. 'Cause I'm Nisei but, well, technically I'm a Sansei but, 'cause my grandfather came, but I go by Nisei anyway. And I didn't talk to Nisei, I talkin' to... well, I talk to Kibei, too, in Nihongo. But they have their opinion, too, and that's why "no-no" boys comes in later, see, there's some Kibeis. But I'm different, and at the time, I don't mind right now the Kibei because they made credit because without the Kibei, MIS never successful. See, at the time, they looked down on Kibei but Kibei the one did the work. I mean, as far as MI goes. But as a soldier, you know, everybody equal, to me.

AI: Well, and again, before that, I had one other question about this period before the assembly center. I think you mentioned in an earlier discussion that your, your funds, your bank account was closed, or seized. What happened? Can you tell what happened?

RM: Well, they stopped, so you cannot withdraw. In other words, well, they didn't confiscate but they made stop payment and then it so happened that bank was not the Bank of America but then Yokohama Specie Bank, later on called Tokyo Bank. But unfortunately, well, my boss had an account there so I opened account, and my deposit there, then sending money so I didn't have much left there, but still, I had a couple hundred dollars there. That's big money, a couple hundred dollars at the time, to me, I mean, as a single guy. But not enough to enjoy, but nevertheless, it's my money. And so later on --

AI: Oh, excuse me, so my question was, why was your account stopped? Were you given an explanation?

RM: No, wasn't any because all of the... see, first I was a 1-A, but president didn't pick my name out of the fishbowl so I didn't go to army. In other words, exempt for, they didn't need so much before the war. See, after the war they start to draft, but the, all the Nisei were classified 4-C, that means "enemy alien." So not even a enemy, and not a alien either, but that was the classification, so considered that time a enemy alien. So enemy alien property, see, so they stopped the payment and --

TI: So after the bombing of Pearl Harbor they classified the Niseis as 4-C --

RM: 4-C instead of --

TI: Enemy Alien --

RM: -- 1-A.

TI: And with that they were able to freeze assets.

RM: Freeze assets, yes.

TI: And that's what happened.

RM: Not only me, but the people in the businessman, too, everyone, so you cannot draw money out there, even though you had it because they attacked the Yokohama Specie Bank, that's a Japanese Bank, so if you had a deposit there for convenience, but even though I'm an American citizen. Their excuse is that classified enemy alien and enemy alien property, see. So after that, before this reparation, they understand about I was in the army so later on I found out, you know. So they paid for the damages and they could sue and then some of the people got money, not the whole, whole money but proportion to, I don't know what the percentage was. So I submit to see, then flatly refused, see, and excuse was, "You went to Japan." But I went to Japan by order of the United States government. I didn't go, voluntarily go. Voluntary left for Japan, they have a hard time getting money, but the same way, mine. But as far as amount goes, right now is very little. But if you left it in the bank and accumulate interest, it would be quite a bit now, but, I mean, just forget it you cannot start it right now, they, and think the attorney's fees quite a bit, so lose money on that. You don't get anything. If I had million dollars I would sue. [Laughs] But, anyway...

<End Segment 40> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.