Densho Digital Archive - Art Ishida Interview (denshovh-iart

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MN: In October 1943, and then during that winter, November, December there was a lot of problems at Tule Lake and the U.S. Army came in with the tanks. Do you remember that at all?

AI: No, because of the area where our room was far away from the middle of camp and we heard that later on and besides that, in the camp I wasn't really pro-Japan so I tried to stay away from any trouble areas so we never went walk around the camp, once in a while I did go to visit some of the old friends was in the camp, otherwise we stayed away.

MN: How about the Hoshidan? Did you get pressured to join the Hoshidan?

AI: No.

MN: Were any of your friends in the Hoshidan?

AI: I think there was, my second cousin was in.

MN: What was your opinion of the Hoshidan at the time?

AI: I didn't believe that.

MN: At any point while you were in camp did you ever think about returning to Japan? Especially your mother's there?

AI: No.

MN: Why not? The government is putting you into this camp?

AI: Yeah, but why go there because the reason I came back to U.S. is the citizens and I wanted to stay in U.S. I had no idea going back to Japan.

MN: Even if the U.S. government is treating you like this?

AI: Well, that was the question.

MN: Do you remember hearing about people getting beaten up at Tule Lake?

AI: I heard, but that's about it.

MN: Now at Tule Lake you were also part of this group called the Nonkina boys. What was that?

AI: That's we started originally we started in the Jerome, we had, a one night we had a engekai and they need whatever the program or volunteer to do so George and I and there was a guy named Yamada, he was the number one singer in a camp. So three of us got together and we made up this Nonkina boys and somebody had a record, I think it was Akirata boys in Japan, pro and we kind of took off that and we made our own kind of program and we played as Nonkina boys. So we did that. We didn't do that in Tule Lake but after came out of camp, Chicago north side had a Buddhist church and south didn't have. And later after about half a year or so I can't remember the reverend's name but another reverend came and he started the Buddhist church on the south side of Chicago. So for the opening ceremony they also had an engekai and George and I, Yamada wasn't there, but George and I, we did Nonkina boys there.

MN: So you sang.

AI: Sang and joke, a lot of jokes, some of the jokes I can't even say in front of camera. [Laughs] That was the highlight, the joke.

MN: Did you have a uniform?

AI: In Jerome we're supposed to wear tuxedo, white tuxedo, we couldn't, so then I was working in the kitchen, I was a cook in the morning, breakfast cook. So we took that cook uniform and we asked one of the lady to starch that hard as they can, then open the collar and iron that and make it look like tuxedo, white tuxedo and that was our uniform which turned out to be pretty good. And we had, somebody made the red carnation for us to put it on so white and red, it turned out pretty good, everybody enjoyed the joke.

MN: Was this done in Japanese, English, or mixture?

AI: Japanese.

MN: So you were eventually able to leave Tule Lake? How were you able to get a leave clearance?

AI: Well, after ten months or so there I had another interview, hearing this time from the army major and a colonel gave me. And as soon as walk in the room, I asked I want to leave the camp and they kind of stunned and look at me and everybody came to go to Japan and why this guy want to leave the camp. And they both kind of talk each other, then one went in back room on the telephone and they called the headquarters in San Francisco and I guess after a little while he came back and says okay so that was it.

MN: Now when people found out you were leaving Tule Lake were you called a traitor?

AI: No, there's no time to say that. The only people knew I was leaving is my roommate, that's it. And as soon as they give me okay I think I left in about three days.