<Begin Segment 7>

MN: About the camp, you were first sent to the assembly center in Tanforan, right?

HM: Right.

MN: Where were people from San Leandro rounded up to go to Tanforan?

HM: Hayward.

MN: Hayward.

HM: We all went to Hayward, took a bus and went to a camp in Tanforan by bus through Hayward. Hayward is a bit north of San Leandro, I think. Hayward... a bit south actually. The cities are lined up. San Leandro, San Jose and Hayward. They are all lined up. By bus, I guess, to Hayward. No, by train. We got on, we went to Topaz by train.

MN: Not Topaz yet. Tanforan. To Tanforan.

HM: We went to Tanforan, and from Tanforan, went to Topaz by train. From Tanforan.

MN: In Tanforan --

HM: California, Tanforan.

MN: When you arrived at Tanforan, that was a horse racetrack, wasn't it a horse racetrack?

HM: Stable. We got to a stable.

MN: How did you feel when you found out that you had to stay in a stable?

HM: It was a stable and very small. There was only one bedroom for us. It was very small. Stable. The stable had some partitions, like this, and there was some space on the other side. The bedroom was on this side. There was a partition, and more rooms were on the other side. There was this partition, and we didn't have access to the other side of the partition. Stable. I didn't like it.

MN: What did you do in Tanforan?

HM: Some sort of labor job. I did something around there. I don't remember. Some kind of job. What did I do? I don't remember. Some sort of... labor, but I don't remember what kind. I did this and that.

MN: That's okay. From Tanforan --

HM: Then I quit the job there. From Tanforan, I went to Topaz from Tanforan. I went to Topaz by train.

MN: Which block were you on in Topaz?

HM: Eight. I lived on Block 8.

MN: Did you live with Tsutomu and Takeshi in Topaz?

HM: I stayed with Tsutomu in Topaz, we lived there. Takeshi was somewhere else. Not in Topaz.

MN: Did Takeshi live with his friend?

HM: Yes, I lived with Tsutomu.

MN: What did you do in Topaz?

HM: Mess hall. I worked at the cafeteria. At the number 12.

MN: In Topaz --

HM: I was working at the cafeteria on Block 12. Worked as a waiter.

MN: On Block 11.

HM: What?

MN: Block 11. Which block did you work as a waiter for?

HM: Two. On Block 2. I worked at the mess hall. Waiter.

MN: As a waiter.

HM: Yes. And after I quit, I worked at [inaudible]. I got fired and worked as a farmer then. I was working as a farmer, but we did not harvest a lot because of the salt in the soil.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.