<Begin Segment 16>

SY: So you obviously were trying to think of ways to keep busy.

EN: Yes, right. Then, we arrived in September, I think, and then I think the following year I left Amache, went to Boulder, Colorado, 'cause there was a university there and I wanted to go to school, and you had to establish a year's residency before you could apply.

SY: So by then they were already allowing students to leave camp.

EN: Students to leave camp.

SY: Was it a special program, or was it just --

EN: I think it was called student relocation council, that helped students go back to school.

SY: And you had to qualify for that in any way?

EN: Well, probably regular, just like going to regular university, probably your grades had to be at a certain level or whatever.

SY: So you left camp and lived in Boulder?

EN: Yes. I don't remember when, but probably in the summer of '43.

SY: I see. And how, do you remember how long you stayed there?

EN: Not too long. I think about a year, maybe less than a year. One of our employees from the Venice amusement pier was working at the Japanese language school that they had opened in Boulder for the armed forces, and so he knew the head of the language school and so he asked him to find me a job when I got to Boulder. So I worked as a schoolgirl for a dentist while I was establishing my residency.

SY: I see, so a schoolgirl, what were...

EN: You're a little slave. [Laughs] I did all the housecleaning. It was a two story mansion and I did, cleaned upstairs, downstairs, and did the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and a little bit of gardening.

SY: So was it, was that a pleasant experience as far as the family that you worked for?

EN: They were very nice people, but I hated housework. I still hate it to this day.

SY: But it allowed you to...

EN: I earned eight dollars a week.

SY: So that was an increase. You had a pay increase. And that, and going to school, was that paid for? Do you remember?

EN: No, I don't remember, 'cause I guess I was so unhappy --

SY: You were unhappy.

EN: -- that my father came after me and took me back to camp.

SY: How did he, how did he know you were unhappy?

EN: I must've written that. I don't remember, but I must've been unhappy because otherwise he wouldn't have come after me.

SY: And you don't remember exactly what made you unhappy? Was it the work more?

EN: I don't remember.

SY: It was just a very unpleasant experience, especially since you wanted, what were you studying?

EN: Well, let's see, I don't remember. Probably just regular college courses at that time. So anyway, I remember my father came after me and we returned to Amache, and that must've been in 1944, early 1944.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.