Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Kazuko Iwahashi Interview
Narrator: Kazuko Iwahashi
Interviewer: Martha Nakagawa
Location: Emeryville, California
Date: May 26, 2011
Densho ID: denshovh-ikazuko-01-0015

<Begin Segment 15>

MN: Now while you were at Tanforan, did anybody come and visit you or your family?

KI: I think when we first went there somebody, I think some people that my father worked for came and brought some food or something. Because I remember I don't think I went but I remember him going. But I remember sometimes walking past that area where people would come and I would see people talking to people through the fence. So if they brought him anything I don't know how they passed it through but obviously they had to go through administrative hands or army hands or something before it got to the person, even though the person's right there. Yeah, but I personally didn't get anybody that came and visited me.

MN: Now you were in Tanforan about three or four months and then you were transferred to a permanent camp called Central Utah or Topaz. What do you remember of the train ride?

KI: I remember them being very hot, stuffy, smelly, like... and I think the seats and things were made of this fuzzy corduroy or fuzzy stuff, and it smelled and because of the heat, it just was kind of unpleasant. I think we got used to it because you had to sit in it for two days, but I remember it being crowded and I don't think I thought it... again, I think I just thought it was something, that it was something that had to be. I just did it.

MN: Now it's crowded, did you have to sleep sitting up?

KI: Uh-huh.

MN: Where did you eat?

KI: I don't remember what we ate but I know we ate. I think the first day they might have provided us a lunch basket... I mean, paper bag lunch or something. I don't remember but there were also times I think I remember going to a dining car and I can't remember how many meals that was for.

MN: Do you remember who served you?

KI: No, but I think it had to be some black porters.

MN: So do you remember African American porters serving you? Or if they did, do you know how they treated you?

KI: I'm just... I don't know if it's just my imagination but I think it's... I mean, hearing so much at that time that that the workers on the trains were blacks, maybe that's where I'm just deciding on my own at that time that thinking back on it, that they were the black waiters. But again, I think I just went through the motions of having to do what you have to do, you know.

MN: But you do remember stopping in the middle of the desert?

KI: Yeah, that I remember.

MN: Tell us about that.

KI: Well, at one point they did tell us that they were going to let us stop the train and let us stretch our legs and that was about it. And then at that time, of course, the military police were out there watching us getting on and off the bus... off the train. And it was just nice to see other people because you're always, the ride over you're confined to this small group of people and I can't remember if I knew anybody that was around us, probably did. But the girls that I went around with, we weren't together. So that was the one thing, when you saw each other you just get together and hug each other. "How are you doing?" And then we had to get back on.

MN: Then you mentioned that like you knew when you reached Salt Lake City. And now how did you know you reached Salt Lake City and about what time did you reach Salt Lake City?

KI: I think... well, somebody came around. I don't know if it was the soldiers or the train monitor and they said, well, we're going to be coming to this Great Salt Lake so if you want... it was probably very early in the morning like four o'clock, five o'clock so if you wanted to look out you could raise up the curtain, the shades. But I remember looking out but I don't know remember, I don't, I thought what am I looking at? I didn't know what I what I was looking at.

MN: It was probably too dark anyways at that hour.

KI: Probably, it would have been just by moonlight or something.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.