<Begin Segment 11>

TI: So let's talk about after Topaz and so how did you come to decide to leave Topaz, and tell me about that.

KY: I think you always wondered what you need... where we were going, and I sort of felt in the back of my mind, eventually we're going to have to leave. And there was a girlfriend of mine and her brother... her sister and her husband were in Chicago and she was thinking about, this girlfriend was thinking about leaving for Chicago. So I decided to go with her and I'm thinking gee, this is... I don't know anything about living on my own, but my parents agreed to let me go.

TI: And at this point you are twenty years old?

KY: Yeah, and my parents agreed that, and I think they probably thought... see, one of the things that... and I don't know where this comes from but being the oldest of the children, there was an ingrained sense of responsibility for my parents. Growing up, because I was a citizen, my parents relied on me like the house and anything that had to do with any kind of citizenship. So somehow I really felt I had to... I have felt it and so in some ways I think my parents -- this was not ever said -- but I sensed they looked to me for some direction about where we'd go from here. And as I say, none of this was articulated but it's just a sense. So since they let me go, I came to Chicago in August of '44.

TI: And before we get to Chicago, in terms of leaving camp, in terms of the paperwork, the approval, describe that. What steps did you have to go through to leave camp?

KY: I don't remember. I don't remember, but I think it was... I had to take the initiative to do all of this, my parents couldn't help me with this. But I don't know quite all the steps that I had to go through in order to finalize the departure papers to be signed.

TI: In terms of initiative, I mean, did the Topaz camp administration was there a sense that they were encouraging you and others to leave the camp and so they made it really easy?

KY: I don't think so. I don't know. I never felt this. They probably... I think there was a sense that somehow one of these days we're going to have to leave.

TI: Earlier than when you left do you recall filling out the leave clearance form? What a lot of people call the "loyalty questionnaire" and do you remember that process?

KY: Yes, I did. I think I said "yes" to one... "yes" to one and "no" to the other I think. So that was I gave a "yes" and a "no" to the answer.

TI: And did that cause any questioning by the administration by doing "no"... I'm thinking you went "no" either to the... well, it used to be one to the military service but that wouldn't pertain to you. So it would be in terms of allegiance to the United States.

KY: I think it was allegiance but I don't think, I think the other question was serve in the army. I think I had to answer that question.

TI: Okay, so maybe that's why.

KY: "Yes" and "no," I'll have to look. I did get my record from the archives, so I do have my record from the National Archives.

TI: Do you recall anything interesting in those records? So how thick was that?

KY: Well, my half was to be very thin because there wasn't that much. But nobody questioned me on my answer.

TI: Earlier you mentioned sort of this unspoken sense between you and your parents in terms of you sort of taking a lead in what the family should be doing. I mean, it feels like to me that that was something that you felt also. I mean, that this was something that was a responsibility as the firstborn to really in some ways go out there and figure out... it's almost like being a trailblazer or pioneer, to figure what would be best for the family.

KY: Because my parents couldn't do this, so, not that if the situation... I mean, they're capable of doing certain things but this was something which was totally not... they were not able to do that.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.