<Begin Segment 11>

MN: Now, how did your family prepare to go into camp?

TH: Well, my mother was sick, so my stepfather did his best to take care of things. I don't know exactly... of course, we moved to San Lorenzo, so already we got rid of a lot of things. We then, Hayward, that's where the bus left for Tanforan Assembly Center.

MN: Where in Hayward?

TH: That, I don't remember.

MN: Do you remember the day that you left for Tanforan?

TH: It was in May. I know the date and I have it written down, but I can't think of it offhand.

MN: Now, from Hayward to get to Tanforan, how did you get there?

TH: On the bus.

MN: And let me go back a little. How did you get to Hayward?

TH: Well, gee, I can't remember.

MN: Did a friend drive you?

TH: Probably Mr. Fukawa, yeah, probably he had a car.

MN: And then when you got to this Hayward place, were there armed guards there?

TH: Yeah. This I learned later. I don't really remember what happened.

MN: Now, when you got on the bus, did they tell you where they were taking you?

TH: No, I don't remember.

MN: So when this bus dropped you off at the Tanforan racetracks, what did you think?

TH: Well, basically, "What is happening?" [Laughs] But I guess one consolation was that we were all together, Japanese.

MN: Do you remember your family number or your barrack number?

TH: I had written it down, but offhand, I can't remember.

MN: Do you remember what some of the first things you did when you got to Tanforan?

TH: Yeah. Our family was one of the, those that had to stay in the horse stall. And of course it was smelly and we had to fill the cotton mattress cover with straws. It was pretty bad.

MN: Now, your mother is sick. How was she taking this?

TH: Oh, she, gradually she got better. She was able to walk.

MN: But in the first, when you first got there, did you have to do everything for your mother?

TH: Yeah, I suppose so, yeah.

MN: What was it like living in a horse stall? Did you develop, like, allergies?

TH: No, I didn't develop any allergy.

MN: What do you remember of the food at Tanforan?

TH: Yeah, it wasn't too good, like a lot of weenies and pork and beans, I guess. We had to line up in a long line three times a day.

MN: And your mother was also able to line up to get food?

TH: Gee, that I don't remember. But gradually she got stronger.

MN: And what kind of work did you do at Tanforan?

TH: In the beginning, I joined a group of people, crew that dug the holes for the... I don't know. Well, some holes were for the posts for hanging the wash, washing clothes, and digging ditches. I don't know how long I worked. But then I heard about the Tanforan art school opened, so I started going there.

MN: Now, when you were digging holes and ditches, were they Niseis or Kibeis?

TH: As far as I could remember, mostly Niseis.

MN: Did you get along with the Niseis?

TH: Oh, yeah, fine, yeah.

MN: What was your stepfather doing at Tanforan?

TH: Well, nothing, I guess.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.