<Begin Segment 7>

SF: When that happened -- when Pearl Harbor took place and so forth -- can you describe what it felt like? I mean, there must have been this huge event that took place and changed everybody's lives. What did it feel like?

AH: It was a Sunday morning, and when the news came on, first hand we couldn't believe it, just couldn't believe it. And yet, all the newscasts couldn't be lies. And as far as I was concerned, I had no idea what my life will be from then on, knowing that I was a third-class citizen, offsprings of alien Japanese. There was no way that we can plan anything or think of what we should do. And for our parents, I think they had mixed emotions. This was their parent country and here were their kids in this country. Of course they... I knew they listened to every bit of news they could get from Japan. And of course, their loyalty was Japan. And the propaganda that they used to get was that Japan was winning all over the area. And, I don't know whether I should say they were happy or what, but they expected Japan to come up on top. That was something that they never even thought about, Japan losing.

LH: Do you feel that that was the prevailing attitude among the Issei population?

AH: Uh... I wouldn't hazard to say it was the prevailing, but I think that most of the Japanese, they were not American citizens, they didn't have any rights here... I think the feeling was that they were hoping that Japan would win, and hope that there was a future for their kids here. [Laughs] It's kind of straddling the fence. But, I don't blame 'em.

SF: Did that kind of difference in perspective between the Nisei and the Issei, did that cause, kind of tension? How did people deal with the different views about the countries and the war and so forth?

AH: I don't know if it created any real tension. The only time it did, I think, was when the American draft was instigated while we were behind barbed wires. There was nothing they could do. They had to go along with, the best way they can, if they could maintain a family, where... I guess by, not by law, but they were divided. Parents were enemies and the children were the enemies of Japan. They just had to take it and get along the best they can. It was a pretty hard situation. Of course, I'm speaking from my own point of view. There were some Isseis that were very much for the country, for this country, and stated the fact that... I really don't know where they came from, not being citizens, but there were a number of Isseis who felt that way.

SF: When you first heard about... that evacuation was going to take place, what ran through your mind?

AH: Well, I just felt that it was inevitable. There was no way we could stand up and oppose it, in my mind. Although there were three or four Isseis that did legally oppose it. To obey their commands and go was the only thing we could think of. No other choice. I went along with... at that time, I also belonged to JACL and I went along with their... I think they did the best they can, at that time, to prevent a catastrophe for the Japanese. I don't know if they had really opposed the government at that time, what could have happened. It's hard to imagine.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.