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AI: Well, so tell me, then, what happened, what was your experience in the prison when you got there?

JY: Oh, the prison? Well, when you go to prison they check you out. Physically, everything, and mentally. And my IQ was high, so they used me as a secretary in the doctor's office. I had to use a typewriter, all the inmates come in, they check him in, and they gotta write down all their ailments and everything. They had lot of, what do you call it, sexual disease and all that. In those days, claps and everything like that. But after a while it got to me, because I had to help operations, and I can't stand that. Jeez, they cut open the stomach and all, see that blood, and I gotta get that cotton and stop the blood. But I kind of, almost fainted, but the thing is, what got to me is I got everybody's record, and the records says... what do you call that now? Oh, yeah. If a person's gay, they got all the information. Then other convicts, they know I got the information, see, and they used to harass me. They want to know which one is gay, 'cause, we all take a shower together. As long as you didn't get caught, you could get away with it. As long as the guards don't (catch you). But if you get caught, they add three more years in prison for sodomy. But if you don't get caught, it's always going on, and they want me to tell 'em who it is. It got to me, so I told the doctor, "I want to get out of here. I want a transfer."

So I finally got a transfer out of there, and I went to wood shop. But one day, one of the convicts called me a "Jap," and I should know better 'cause I'm a minority in there. (...) I slapped him automatically and he didn't do anything. But the very next day, when all the doors clanged open and we come out, well, we all don't come out at one time. Everybody takes their time, somebody take their time brushing their teeth and all that. But when I went out, they were waiting for me. They had one big guy hit me in my face, but I didn't go down. They thought he could knock me out, but I didn't go down, but in the hallway, I put my back against the wall and I started fighting, 'cause I learned judo and sumo, so I knew how to push him away. And I'm small compared to the Caucasians. Every one of 'em's bigger than I am, but I kept pushing them away and everything else and fighting. They, everybody tried to grab me, get me on the floor and stomp me. And everybody's hollering, "Kill that Jap. Kill the Jap." And the guard didn't stop it, see. He was, he was hollering, too. And then, finally, they got tired and walked away. It's amazing. I knew somebody upstairs was helping me. When you get, when you're jumped on by a gang, you ain't got a chance. When they (stopped), I (only had) my shorts on. My pants was all gone, my shirt was gone, undershirt was gone, yeah. And then the warden put me in the hole for five days. I thought it was all in the movies, but in the hole, all they fed me was three slices of bread a day, one beet. And that's it, in the federal prison. Otherwise they feed you three times a day, they gave you dessert and everything. They watch your health, everything. That's why a lot of people go to prison, to get taken care of. [Laughs]

AI: So after the five days, they let you out?

JY: Yeah.

AI: What happened? Did, did they keep harassing you, or...?

JY: No. The one big guy was a friend before this happened, six-foot-four, he told me if he jumped in and helped me, he said he would have gotten killed. He said, "They were wrong to do that." He apologized that he didn't help me. They left me alone after that 'cause they knew I was a fighter. And, and then the, the ex-Louisiana governor, and his lawyer was in there. I think it's, he was, you know, the governor gets some kind of... what the hell do they call that? They get money from the government for the universities, grant or something. I think he was taking some money off of there. And he got caught, and he was in jail. And then he took a liking to me, 'cause I survived. And he, and he got into my case, and he said, how come I'm in there, and I told him my case. And he says, he recommended me to volunteer and go in the army. 'Cause he says, I didn't know about, you lose your rights, you lose certain rights, even if you finish your sentence, (...) you can't vote, you can't be in the jury, and you can't get a passport. Other things, I don't care about. Main thing is my passport, 'cause my folks were in Japan already. So he fixed it up, wrote to his friend in Washington, D.C., from prison, the official at Texarkana, they took me to Dallas, and I passed my physical and I was in the army. I got out of jail early. I only stayed there two years and two months, I think, that's it. And I got out.

AI: So when, when was it when you got out, then?

JY: '46, I think. See, I went in there '44 and got out '46.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.