<Begin Segment 39>

TI: Okay, so I'm curious; so you're all getting ready to go to Japan.

TA: Ready to go to Japan.

TI: This is now almost a year after your father was taken away.

TA: About a year, yes.

TI: And a year ago, he was sent off with like a hero's farewell.

TA: Yes.

TI: I'm curious, now that a year has gone by, in terms of how the other people at Tule Lake, who were not going, how they treated you, your mom, your family.

TA: My mother in particular, you know... this is funny how people react to certain things, because when my father was picked up, a hero, whatnot, they'd come to my mother and says, "Oh, domo arigato." And treated her with high regards. But after that, jeez, they just turned against her. They didn't even want to talk to her. They just ignored her, alluded to that it was my father's fault that there, that people would, all these things are happening, and so she was really disappointed, and we felt pretty sorry for her. You know, high esteem down to, to being hated. I really hated the way they treated her. But, but she, she went through it.

TI: That must have been very, very hard for your mother.

TA: Aw, she's a good soldier. [Laughs] I wish I did more for her while she was living.

<End Segment 39> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.