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TI: Okay, so we're now at Tule Lake. But before we talk more about Tule Lake, I want to go back to your daughter, Ayleen. She was born February 1941, and so let's start with, how was she delivered? Was she delivered in a hospital or a midwife?

BI: In a hospital.

TI: Which hospital? Was this in Seattle or Bellevue?

BI: Seattle. What was that hospital?

TI: So was it Seattle General Hospital?

BI: No, it was... was there some kind of religious hospital?

TI: Oh, maybe Providence? Well, I'm not sure which one.

BI: Anyway, it was in a hospital. (Narr. note: It was Providence Hospital.)

TI: And what was it like being a young mother with a, a new baby daughter?

BI: Well, I didn't expect to have a child so soon, I was surprised that he wanted to start a family. And we didn't, I didn't get pregnant right away, but he was very happy that he was going to have a child.

TI: Because you had to raise Ayleen in South Park, and so you were kind of alone.

BI: Uh-huh.

TI: You didn't have your, your mother or your sisters there.

BI: No, uh-uh.

TI: So what was that like? Was that hard?

BI: It was for a very short time, because she was born in February, and then the war broke out in December. But my, we used to go to Bellevue quite often to visit, and then that year I had my sister there, was living in California and they came up to visit, so I had visitors. So it wasn't too bad.

TI: So let's jump to when you had to go to first Puyallup. How difficult was it to take care of Ayleen in those circumstances?

BI: Well, it was very difficult because at home, we had a washing machine and everything was so convenient. And had to wash diapers on a scrub board and all that, and I was very busy just taking care of washing clothes. And the food was horrible and she got diarrhea and it was rainy and muddy and very depressing. Just, just... it was an insult, you know. I just felt like, "Why do I deserve this?"

TI: Yeah, it seems, especially when she had diarrhea, it's just like a full-time job just, just trying to survive in those circumstances.

BI: Oh, yes. And the doctors really got concerned because it wouldn't go away. And then I think the doctor asked someone to bring in some dried apples. I don't know how I got those dried apples, and he said the dried apples would probably help some, and it did help and finally stopped.

TI: How did you feel about the health care in, at Puyallup for, for you and the others?

BI: There wasn't any that I know of. [Laughs]

TI: So there really wasn't medicines or anything like that, it was just things like that.

BI: No.

TI: When you went to Tule Lake, so let's go back to Tule Lake, did conditions improve?

BI: Well, by that time, we were sort of used to camp life. It wasn't easy because most of my time was taken up washing diapers and washing sheets and washing Ken's corduroy pants on the scrub board and wringing it out. Oh, it was horrible, especially when you were used to a washing machine and whatnot. And half the time I couldn't dry it outside 'cause it was so dusty, so I had to hang things in the barrack.

TI: And so what would you do with Ayleen during the day? Were there places for her to play? What did you do?

BI: Well, when we were at Tule Lake, of course, she was pretty young. But she was... I was very strict about raising my family, and if I would discipline her, she'll say, "I'm going to go far away." I said, "Oh, okay, goodbye," [laughs] knowing that she couldn't go anywhere, we're in camp, you know. And she'd go and go around away from our barrack to another barrack, and somebody will come and say, "Oh, Mrs. Ito, did you know Ayleen is in Block so-and-so?" and I said, "Yes, I know. She said she was running away." [Laughs]

TI: And then she would just eventually come back, is that...?

BI: Yeah, she'd get closer and closer to the barrack and then Ken would go after her. [Laughs] I was mean.

TI: Were there very many other young mothers or mothers with young children?

BI: Yes, uh-huh, there were lots. And then she was too young to go to nursery school, but she would sneak over there and go into the classroom, and then they'd come and tell me, "You know, Mrs. Ito, your, Ayleen is over here." It was pretty hard for me to keep her away from that school because the children were there.

TI: Well, it sounds like Ayleen's a very independent, strong individual.

BI: Uh-huh. She always was.

TI: Oh, that's interesting.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.