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TI: So from Santa Anita, you mentioned Amache, Amache, Colorado. So tell me about Amache. How did things shift or change when you went from Santa Anita to Amache?

KK: Well, Amache was a more stable community. [Coughs] Excuse me. And the buildings and everything were more stable, and when we got there, the buildings weren't finished, and the boys had to scrounge wood. They made us beds and they made, made us shelves and stuff, and so we had kind of a nice apartment. [Laughs] And then later on they brought the boards to put in the inside walls because it, it's double wall, but then they hadn't finished it, so we had to put our own walls in. And that was interesting to see how that was all done, but we had boys, and so our units were okay. And then the boys helped our neighbors.

TI: Okay. What about jobs? Did your siblings or mother have jobs, like, in Amache?

KK: Yes, my siblings did. Hana worked for the YWCA, and the YWCA had a building, a unit in which they could have meetings and they had parties and an office there and all. And the meetings and they had parties and an office there and all. And the YWCA sponsored a lot of parties that, especially when the soldiers start coming in, for soldiers and all. It was interesting that in camp was the first time that I really found out about the various churches, because we could have one Christian church, we could have a Catholic church and a Buddhist church. Okay, that meant, all the different Christian denominations, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian Congregational, they all had to meet at one time. I don't know why I happened to be at that meeting, but I was at this meeting where all these different ministers were, and it was so fascinating to listen to them and hear them, how this Christian church should be run. And they argued a lot about whether you put the whole hand up or you put three fingers up to say the blessing, and things like that. And so it was the first time I saw what it meant to have a ecumenical Christian church.

TI: Fascinating. And what denomination was your family? Which Christian?

KK: Well, we went to Union Church, which was a combination of Congregational and Presbyterian. Which was... anyway. I was only ten, by then I was ten, and I thought this was very interesting and it stuck with me all my life, that churches just, it shouldn't be about what you do in church, three fingers, five fingers, whatever, you know. It's you and the Lord.

TI: When you said, when they had these discussions or disagreements, describe that. Was it heated, or was it more just like a discussion? How would you...

KK: It was more like a discussion. It wasn't heated, but then they had to make a decision one way or the other. And it was really fun. And we had one minister who was very talented and he would draw pictures. And he was so popular because he would, he would tell, be telling stories and he'd draw these pictures, you know, illustrate. And I just remember that, for all my years, I thought I wish I knew who he was and where he was 'cause I just, that really helped.

TI: Was this during his sermons he would do this?

KK: Yes. Uh-huh.

TI: Oh, so a sermon he would help illustrate what he was talking about, he'd actually draw what he was talking.

KK: Draw what he said. He was really good and so, when we knew he was going to be there, we all went, of course, especially young people.

TI: I'll have to find out, that's a good story. And this was in Amache?

KK: That was in Amache.

TI: Well, if I ever find out I'll let you know.

KK: Yeah, please do.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.