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[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

TI: So any other memories of Puyallup that you'd like to share?

SA: Well, there wasn't much, but I think we had to turn in all of, of course, all of our ration coupons, because it had to go to the army to get food for us. And we were supposed to be on the same rations as the army, but I think they fell far short of that. But I think it was just an adjustment thing, it was hard.

TI: So to make sure I understand when you say the ration cards, so every family was distributed a certain amount of ration cards...

SA: Before the (evacuation).

TI: Before the war. You would turn them into the army with the thinking that you would then get those rations to each family.

SA: Yes, but of course they can't, because it's mass produced food. At that point, they have to buy in quantity. But it's things like sugar and meat. So I didn't get the ration coupon back 'til, I think I had it, a small one left when I left. (I still keep it, as a souvenir of World War II).

TI: Now, I'm curious, you mentioned earlier, I was curious what families did with, you mentioned how when you sold your inventory, you were able to get some cash. Were families, because you probably didn't put these in banks, did families --

SA: We had to keep it with us.

TI: So families would just carry cash.

SA: I'm sure they must have, I don't know what others did, but of course, we didn't have that great an amount. But we needed it (for daily needs, like toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etcetera) because there's, I don't know if, I don't remember a canteen in Puyallup, but there might have been. But we did have one in Minidoka, and if you weren't working, like my mother wasn't, and I didn't work really -- I went out on apple picking as I said, (and) potato picking, and then finally I did work as a nurse's aide, and you'll have that document, too, when they assigned me. (I received) sixteen dollars (a month). But that's the only money and we had to go to the canteen to buy clothes and whatever else we needed. And because we were in the mud, a lot of us had to get boots or whatever, (we did not bring).

TI: So was the canteen kind of like a bank for people, they could actually keep money there safely?

SA: Well, I don't think we could keep money there.

TI: But you could buy things there.

SA: You could buy things. But you would have to --

TI: So I'm curious, first about, so if you have money, how did people sort of keep it safe in places like Puyallup?

SA: I have no idea what they did. But I think that for us, I think my mother might have kept it on herself.

TI: So like a money belt or something like that?

SA: We didn't have (any other way). But Japanese are (honest) people, and you don't (think) so much of theft. As far as I know, I don't think anybody stole from anybody. But we were tight on money. Of course, the wealthier families, I don't know how they did it, but I think some of them must have rented their places. And those that had children over twenty-one (years of age) actually owned (their) place, and they had turned it over (to friends or workers). Like on Bainbridge Island, I know, I think it's (the) Kitamoto family, they turned it over to a Filipino worker. And some, evidently as I've read, down in California, they had to turn it over to Caucasian friends. And of course, the money made was put into their banks, and so they could get an income from there. So some had money, quite a bit.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.