<Begin Segment 34>

AH: You know, even before the draft thing came up in early '44, there was that movement of people because of the segregation center set up in Tule Lake. And the people who had answered the loyalty registration in a certain way, if it was deemed wrong or somebody in their family did it that way, they went off to Tule Lake. And then those people in Tule Lake who had signed "yes-yes" were moved to other ones, and then there were quite a few of 'em that came to Minidoka. And I've always found it very ironic that when those people who were "yes-yes" came to Minidoka, they were more politically-minded and were more opposed to what was going on in the administration and took action.

JA: That's right. Let me pick it up right there. In our block, five people from Tule came and one was Mr. Takeda. He was the negotiator for Tule Lake for whatever was not going right. And he came, and first thing he said, "Jim, how come you're eating garbage?" And that's after he stayed for a week or so. No meat, everything was... like morning, you get piece of toast, bowl of mush, no sugar, then you got some black thing that looked coffee-like, which was not coffee. And noon, was a little bit of casserole. Then he saw these groups of, Catholic group, and the chef's sons in the back, and we were caught in between and we weren't getting enough food. So I said, "I've been fighting and I've been trying to improve the condition." So he says, "Okay." And I'd go up to the administration and I'd complain and they won't listen because I've got no backing. So finally, Mr. Takeda, Makishima, and Nitta -- they're all from Tule -- and myself, we went up to Stafford's office. And they said, "You gotta have an appointment." I said, "Yeah, we got an appointment." I didn't, but I just walked in. And this fella, Mr. Takeda, bilingual, and he had a -- little guy, but powerful voice, and we sat ourselves in front of Stafford and we laid it to him. And from that week, meat and all the food, the whole food changed and the conditions started to change. And it took these people from Tule, just like you say, "yes-yes" but then when they came up to Minidoka they were "no-no." [Laughs]

AH: These were more your type of people, then, when they got there.

JA: Yes, and then I got support. Up to then, they were all quiet Americans.

AH: Do you think you came across in those days as an aggressive person, not only in terms of what you said, but physically?

JA: Physically aggressive, yes. Because I'd say, "Okay, what do you want to do about it?" And before that, before the war, somebody look at me sidewise, bang, I'd have 'em down. I was very short-tempered.

AH: And you were getting a short fuse at this time, too, with all these things going on?

JA: Yes, right. And I was getting madder and madder. [Laughs]

AH: So you're getting more angry, but you're also getting a little bit more, you know, wind in your sails because you've got some people who at least will stand up and be counted...

JA: Allies, yes. And will support me. Not the block people, as such. But it was these new Tule people. And to date, they're very close to me. And when I said I'm going to challenge... well, I didn't say I'm going to challenge the selective service, well, I'll get to that. But they were supporting of me of, whatever I want done. And when we start to go up to the Stafford, hey, we're going to get the plumbing in. And then all of a sudden all the plumbing that was sitting out there was gone. And I'm telling them, "Who stole it?" He said, "They were stolen." And here it is, you've got three bridges, army guards and any truckloads of toilet equipment going through not just one, two, three, it might have taken thirty, and they just say, "Oh, it was stolen." And I wouldn't let them off and I said, "What do you mean, stolen? You guys must have stolen, or you guys had something to do," and I'm threatening them now, because I'm not comfortable here going to toilet, twenty below zero. You go to toilet and gee, everything is frozen. And you go to bath, we have a little bit of shower, but not the shower I want to be. So, in the washroom, heck, I used to take my bath right in the washtub basin and I'd tell the guy, "Hey, hold the towel around me." And I'd just... that's me, I just did. If they won't give me the shower, okay I'll take it right in this -- they call it, what the heck is it -- washroom. Anyway...

AH: Oh, yeah. The laundry room?

JA: Laundry room, yes. And I'd take my bath right in there and I'd tell some of the guys, hey, hold some towel up there. And people, "Gee, Akutsu's taking bath in the laundry room." [Laughs] And I'm that kind of guy, I'll go ahead and do it. Yeah, I'll do that until they'll do something with the showers and get coal so we could be warm. And that's another thing, they'll come and dump one little load of coal, and everybody's supposed to go out there and grab coal and keep yourself warm. And like in my case, my mother's there and she can't compete with all the men who were not working. And we'd get maybe little bits of coal. And I'm cold, and I'm hungry and I'm getting madder and madder for the conditions.

<End Segment 34> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.