Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Jim Akutsu Interview
Narrator: Jim Akutsu
Interviewer: Art Hansen
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: June 9 and 12, 1997
Densho ID: denshovh-ajim-01-0011

<Begin Segment 11>

AH: We're talking about you going to the University of Washington and we've been talking about the fact that your dad was disallowed to go to the University of Washington. When did that change?

JA: Well, I'll tell you, someplace before me it changed. See, like me, number one, I tried to get into Washington National Guard, you know, the national guard -- they wouldn't take me. I went to university and tried to get into ROTC -- they wouldn't take me. And I'll go one further. Shortly after December 7th, I went down to take my physical, okay, take me. 4-C, enemy alien, and I'm put in camp. So it's not that I didn't want to get in, I was trying to get in but they would not accept me. Then in 1943, I tried to get into the navy and also into the Seabees and they wouldn't take me. So here over and over and over, I'm trying to serve my country, and they won't take me. Then because I knew too much about the hanky-panky, going out of camp, stealing of food, and so forth, clothing, food, etcetera, hey, we've got to get this guy out of here. And also I could have screwed up the Selective Service when it was going to become reactivated by citing 4-C -- no military obligation, and that was, I told that to Min Yasui.

AH: I think we are getting a little bit ahead. I'm interested in your other part, if you don't mind, we're going to cover that in great detail especially Thursday.

[Interruption]

JA: So at university, they won't accept me in ROTC, but they would take me for wrestling, fencing, swimming, they want me. And I don't even have to take any tests or anything. But, ROTC they said, "You got flat foot, we don't accept you." And that was, here, I got a little card saying that.

AH: Did you think that a pretext, or not?

JA: Yeah, I thought that was strictly discrimination, and I wanted to get in. I like military things.

AH: So you weren't just a great athlete with flat feet. You didn't have flat feet? [Laughs]

JA: No, I didn't.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.