<Begin Segment 12>

MN: Now, you mentioned that you went to the art school at Tanforan. Can you share with us how this school started?

TH: Yes. This is something I read later on. I read the biography of Professor Chiura Obata, and I understand he entered Tanforan a little earlier than us, then right away, about four days later, he saw that there was a couple thousand children doing, nothing to do. So he worried about it, and he thought about starting an art school, then he talked this over with his good friend Matsusaburo Hibi, who was, before the war, he was teaching at the California School of Fine Art. And, of course, Chiura Obata was professor at UC Berkeley. And a few days later they really, their plan was materialized. Chiura Obata really had to work hard, but he had a lot of connection from UC days, his students and his colleagues pitched in, sent him art materials. So then the first opening, he heard -- it was a really stormy day, rainstorm -- and when he got to the entrance of the school he saw three little girls waiting, drenched in the rain. And he was very moved by it, and these three girls were the only students during the opening days.

MN: Now, how many teachers were teaching at this art school?

TH: Quite a few. Did I write it down? I don't know what it is. Seventeen or something. Yeah, there were a lot of graduates from (UC Berkeley), the art department, probably from the School of Fine Arts, College of Arts & Crafts, And there was one person who studied at an art student league in New York, so there was quite a few in all different subject like drawing, pencil drawings, oil painting, mural painting and cartooning. Particularly there was, I remember this young fellow who used to work at the Disney studio was teaching cartooning, which was attracting a lot of young kids. It was a really lively, vibrant place. So starting from three young girls, I understand that later it had three hundred students.

MN: Now, the classes, was it every day? Did you go every day?

TH: I believe so. I don't exactly remember. At the beginning I took Professor Chiura Obata's class, Japanese brush painting, and a couple months later I switched to, I decided I liked the Western-style painting better so I switched to oil painting. And also I took drawing class, basic drawing class.

MN: And the classes, were they a mixture of women and men, or was it all boys, was it separated?

TH: Oh, mixture of some, probably there was some Issei who liked to study with Professor Chiura Obata. And somebody like my age, in twenties, in their twenties, and lot of children, young kids. Mine Okubo, who was a graduate of UC Berkeley art department, was very, probably always young girls. She was very attractive and vibrant, she always used to wear jeans.

MN: Was there, like, sculpture, or was it just strictly painting and drawing that was taught?

TH: What's that again? I'm sorry?

MN: Was sculpture part of the class?

TH: I understand there was a sculpture class, yeah.

MN: What other art forms were taught there?

TH: Oh, I read later that there's a class for the architecture or so.

MN: So you're in Tanforan and you're going to art school. What did you do in addition to going to art school?

TH: Just roam around the camp, visit my friends. This one particular friend, his name was Sasaki, he was with his father. His mother passed away before the war, and they were sleeping, and under the grandstand where a lot of bachelors was sleeping. So I used to visit him. In a way, it was kind of nice.

MN: What did you guys talk about?

TH: Oh, I don't know. [Laughs] And also they had talent show, and next to the grandstand there was a little room where Goro Suzuki, he used a Chinese named Jack Soo later on, used to sing and imitate Bing Crosby. And there was also one Kibei who played harmonica really good.

MN: You know, later on, when Goro Suzuki, and he became Jack Soo, and he was on a TV show Barney Miller.

TH: Right.

MN: Did you watch him?

TH: Yeah, sometimes, yeah.

MN: What did you think about that?

TH: Oh, nothing. We went to see him in San Francisco at the Forbidden City nightclub. Didn't think nothing of the fact that he was using Chinese name.

MN: So that didn't bother you at all that he had changed the name?

TH: No, it didn't bother me.

MN: Now, at Tanforan, how did the Niseis treat you, as a Kibei?

TH: Well, at the beginning, this crew, they didn't treat me differently. I was fairly comfortable with them.

MN: Did you have any contact with the JACL?

TH: No.

MN: Were there any strikes or riots at Tanforan like they had at Santa Anita assembly center?

TH: No, not as far as I know.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.