Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Gene Akutsu Interview II
Narrator: Gene Akutsu
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: April 17, 2008
Densho ID: denshovh-agene-03-0008

<Begin Segment 8>

TI: But eventually, at the end of 1943, December 1943, your father joins the family at Minidoka. So do you remember when your father joined the family and what that was like?

GA: Yeah, that's kind of a sad story. It's that I was, I can't remember what I was doing, but I was in my barrack, and I stepped out to, I guess, head out to the laundry room where we do laundry and various things, it's a utility room, and there was an elderly old man come walking over and he asked, "Could you tell me where the residence of Akutsu is?" And I said, "Well, it's over there," and I showed him where it was, and he went there and I didn't even think it was my dad. But anyway, I sent him over there and he introduced himself and went inside. And when I went back in there, I found out that it was my dad, that he had grown so thin that I couldn't recognize him. He was approximately 140 pounds at that time, but I think when he came home, was approximately ninety pounds, and so he was just skin and bones. And I believe he had some beard, so whenever a person has a beard, you can't recognize him. Now, anyway, we got together for the first time since his departure to Missoula, which was some two and a half years prior. So it was, we were finally together and had time to get to acquaint ourselves with our parents, my dad. But the thing was, that was kind of set aside with us younger people, because what we were looking at is activities going on in our camp, and try to get involved there.

TI: Going back to these first impressions of your father, so about two years you haven't seen him, he's lost a lot of weight, the facial hair, so you really did not recognize your father. Did he recognize you after looking at you?

GA: Well, it's been some two years since he saw us, and that meant that I was about (fifteen) years old. I have grown taller, have put on more weight, I had matured, and maybe he did have, but I think his, he couldn't remember us, anyway. So we were at a loss as to recognize each other. It may seem funny, but that's how it was.

TI: And when you spent more time with him, did you notice any differences about him as a person?

GA: Well, as I said, kids activities came first, and spending time with my dad to find out whether his personality has changed, I didn't notice. In fact, I didn't even know where he was transferred, from Missoula to various other camps (in Louisiana and New Mexico), and that I didn't even know. And one day, I figured I will find out, but that day never came.

TI: How about your mother? Did you see any differences in your mother after your father returned?

GA: Well, not very, because also, since the parents were together again, all the more reasons why we were away from home enjoying ourselves as much as possible. But prior to my dad coming back, yes, my mother had a lot of worries, she looked depressed, tired, and not sickly, but then she had a lot of worries that bothered her. (But with determination and courage, she kept moving forward).

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.