<Begin Segment 8>

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

TI: Well you mentioned earlier that your dad and some of your dad's friends, or people in the block who talked to your dad, mentioned that they thought Japan was going to win, or were winning. What was the information? What did you think, in terms of how the war was going when you were at Tule Lake?

SA: We just didn't get information from the outside. And so, just like I said, the only outside information (we) received (was) by taking the, once every Sunday edition of the San Francisco newspaper that was delivered to us, and that was it. And then, two of my classmates from first grade, they wrote to me, but it was always (...) general talk, nothing about the war. (But) about other classmates, and that was about it. So I didn't really hear anything. (After all, I'm sure the people on the outside considered us as Japanese).

TI: But you personally, so you read the once-a-week San Francisco Chronicle and got messages.

SA: (Chronicle).

TI: Was your sense that the United States was winning the war, or did you still not really know?

SA: We had a feeling that Japan was losing. But you know, when we mentioned it to my father, he would be influenced by other (people's) rumors. You know, the rumors were rampant in camp. Because it's (an internment camp) the rumors get out of hand, as I remember. (Narr. note: A lot of the Japanese in camp didn't believe the American press).

TI: And what were some of those rumors?

SA: Oh, like Japan is winning the war, or they're going to, you know... in fact, I'm sorry but I didn't pay much attention to it, being a teenager. And (as) it was, people would complain about the food, or (about) not getting enough, (etcetera). (...) I was just involved with my own life. And we didn't hear too much about the outside or (about) people on the outside (...). (Narr. note: In camp we just weren't involved directly with what was happening outside because we just didn't have the freedom of the outside world).

TI: So one last question that just occurred to me. What about your mother, during this time? You talked about your father sort of meeting these men and getting perhaps a little confused. What about your mother? Do you have a sense of how she felt about this?

SA: She never said hardly anything. And in camp, she worked, she was able to work as a dishwasher in the mess hall. And she had, made a very nice friend and she never talked about the war. She never talked (much and) we didn't communicate too much (either). We didn't talk things over either. She came when she was, to the United States, when she was eighteen and it was a hard life for her. She had, actually she had nine children, two died in infancy. (Most) decisions were made by my dad. And I don't think they were the best decisions. She was on the quiet side; (she) just went along. And even when we were living on the farm, she never got to go to Seattle. She just worked, worked, worked. She didn't have any social life in Bellevue when we were growing up. So, at the Kokkaido, (she) would go to movies, that was just about it. And when we went to Seattle, she just stayed home and (...) worked.

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