Densho Digital Archive - Roy H. Matsumoto Interview (denshovh-mroy-01-0044)

<Begin Segment 44>

AI: I also wanted to ask you another question about, you had mentioned earlier that when you left Japan, your mother was saying, "Well, now you're an American citizen, you're going back to the United States and you must be loyal to the United States."

RM: To United States.

AI: But here, now you're in Santa Anita there, you're being guarded by guards with guns, you can't leave and terrible conditions, so what did you feel about this?

RM: At the time I was so mad I didn't know what I'm doin' it, but the thing is, well, I didn't know what the condition in Japan, but right there is very bad, especially, we've been put 'em in at, see, no discrimination whether alien or the citizens, you know, and also classified and so, but at least we in the camp and protected, so other mobs wouldn't attack us, but --

AI: But you, I was wondering --

RM: To me, at the time, I'm keeping myself busy so that don't have to think about that. Of course, after then, and then it make you mad and tired and it stinks and so I wanna get out of there. But I cannot get away there because guards there and then I wanna get out somehow, except escaping. I always mention that, especially in the camp there. But that's why I get the job, keep myself busy. That's why I get the storekeeper and the mess hall and I, instead of doing the manual work, you know, go outside and...

AI: Well, I wanted to ask you, when you were at Santa Anita, did you ever think maybe you made a mistake coming back to California?

RM: No, I didn't think about that. That was too late. I was back. But if this gonna happen probably I wouldn't have come back, but these thing, nobody expected, they gonna be put away in a horse stall. And I didn't commit any crime. And put 'em in a regular jail, at least you have nice cotton bed and you have a toilet and everything else, but right there, sitting on the cow shit, you know -- not cow, but I mean, dog, I mean, horse manure, and, but one consolation is a good thing I didn't have a family, see. And I thought my family is together. But I didn't know my brother was in the service and those things, and later on find out that fortunately, everybody survived.