Densho Digital Archive - Fred Y. Hoshiyama Interview (denshovh-hfred

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TI: And so you mentioned how the YMCA was an assembly place for people to go.

FH: Yeah. It was assembly for the second, second round of people going to camp, Tanforan. Must have been one week later. I went on the first group, and then I have a story to tell you about camp life that was just interesting. When we first got there, that's April 28th, 29th, it rained that day. And then the kids were just lost. Thousands of kids just roaming around. It's a concentration camp, nothing there except racetrack. And the kids just tossing things around, and some of them were Japanese YMCA members. We were just talking 'cause we knew each other. And we said, "Too bad about us, but those kids, worse. It's a shame. We got to do something for the kids." So one thing led to another, somebody said, "Yeah, we should maybe do Y program for the kids. Come on, Fred." [Laughs] I just got there. So we decided that we would ask YMCAs on the outside to see if they could loan us used sports equipment, and we could play soccer, basketball, different things. We made a few phone calls, I went to the commandant and I said, "Hey, if you don't do something for the kids, you're going to have trouble on your hands." "Oh, we don't want no trouble, we want to work with you." So I said, "I need to make a few phone calls." "Sure, here it is." So I called my friends on the outside in the YMCA. Few days later, carloads, carloads, pickup trucks. Basketballs, shoes, t-shirts, socks, all kinds of equipment. Piano, hymnals, craft stuff, all came in. We had a full-blown YMCA without walls, without staff, just the spirit of trying to help kids. That, to me, was a marvelous thing to experience. People have that goodness in their heart, and within a couple weeks, we had leagues going and we had all the kids involved. And then some of the other camp says, "How'd you guys do that?" Because they were in the same boat. And told the story, so they did the same kind of stuff and got things going. It's amazing what idea could spread, even in spite of the fact that we're behind barbed wire fence, and armed guard, and lights twenty-four hours a day.

TI: And so how did you feel when you saw those first cars coming with all the equipment and the shirts and all that?

FH: I said, I said to myself, "There are some good people out there." This, what's happening to us is not America. This is some few people, like the guys that torch our barn, not the majority. Lot of people don't even know about it. That's America, and yet, that's what happens. And I don't have the answer, but I felt good that we got that kind of support and contact. And a few days, they all worked hard, got the stuff to us.

TI: Now, how did you get organized? Because this was bigger than the YMCA, there were a lot more kids there, lot more things.

FH: No problem. They were all looking for something to do. The people had nothing to do, they got no job. So easy to recruit people to say, "Come and help us." "Oh, sure, what can I do?" "I know how to teach, I'll teach kids how to..." It just worked out, just quick, quick, quick. Of course, I know a little bit about organization 'cause I worked with the Y. So what I learned, and we had a core group of people, and just ditto, worked out fine.

TI: Now, you made these calls to your friends and other YMCAs, did national YMCA help?

FH: Yeah, they came in later when we went to the permanent camp like Topaz. National Y, now, went to all the camps and helped. Yes, they did. The YMCA's international and it is inclusive for all people. But the spirit is healthy spirit, mind and body, for all people. That's what the Y is about. It's Christian principles, but Japan is less than one percent Christian, and yet, two of the largest YMCA in the world, Osaka and -- not Tokyo -- Yokohama, in budget size. A non-Christian nation, YMCA is the biggest? How come? Because the spirit of the Y is all-inclusive.

TI: Good.