Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: James A. Nakano Interview
Narrator: James A. Nakano
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Date: June 3, 2009
Densho ID: denshovh-njames_2-01-0009

<Begin Segment 9>

TI: Well, in the, kind of, weeks after the Pearl Harbor bombing, the FBI went around and started picking up some of the community leaders. Did they question your father or do anything with your father?

JN: I don't remember at all. The only thing I remember was when they picked him up, which was in February of '42. And I remember them coming over to the house. But as I said, this is in February. Before then, I don't remember them coming to the house at all.

TI: Do you remember how many came to the house?

JN: It seemed to me there were, like, two or three. I think they had suits on, they came in. I'm not sure how much of this is accurate, but I seem to recall my father -- I called him "my old man" to most people -- but I seem to recall my father walking out of the house, like, with a cigar in his mouth and he's saying "hello" to the FBI guys like no big deal kind of a situation. That's, that's the recollection I seem to have of him walking around with a cigar in his mouth, and just talking to the FBI guys like, "All right, you guys are coming over, all right, I'll see you guys coming out." And he's dressed and ready to go kind of thing.

TI: Hmm. And does that, when you think back to that moment, does that surprise you that that was the reaction of your father? To come out with a cigar and just kind of be casual about this?

JN: Yeah, it must have been, because that's what I -- otherwise, I don't think I could remember. It wasn't -- and I don't feel, and I don't recall feeling, and my association with that image is I don't feel sadness or anything. It's like, "Wow, there he goes," he's having a good time and he's walking out the door and he has a cigar and everything. Because I was stuck to my mother, right? So I didn't feel it, but I recall him walking out, but I don't feel the loss, I don't feel sadness or anything. Obviously no bitterness. I didn't care, practically.

TI: And do you recall your mother's reaction when this was happening?

JN: Not at all. I'm sure she was stoic as usual, no emotions.

TI: So who took care of all the rentals and the property, do you recall? Was it like your younger uncle? Was he still around and able to help out?

JN: Yeah. But instead of that uncle, the one, the Nakano uncle, the one who, that moved into our house when we were to leave -- we left, my dad left in February of '42, we left in November of '42. The uncle who took over the house and the rental and all that kind of thing was my Uncle Inouye from my mother's side rather than my father's side.

TI: And the orders for you to leave in November, do you recall if... was it because all families had to follow their father, or was this a voluntary thing, that your mother wanted to join your father? Do you recall the circumstances?

JN: No, no. But the impression I had, I'm not sure why, but the impression I had was that it was voluntary. And I'm not sure why. It's kind of interesting because it's not like my mother was that close to my father, so why she felt she had to join them, I don't have the slightest idea.

TI: But the thinking was, if the family went to the mainland, at some point, they would be reunited with your father?

JN: Yes, yes. That was the whole idea.

TI: Do you recall if there was any communication between your mother and father during that time period from February '42 to November '42 to help her make that decision?

JN: Not at all. And I don't think we ever even visited him while he was at Sand Island. I don't think I did. Maybe my mother did or my brothers did, but I don't recall at all.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright ©2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.