<Begin Segment 22>
SY: And do you remember how, about how long you were the only Japanese American student there?
EN: There were some young students who arrived from Gila, Arizona, and I thought they came in early 1945.
SY: So maybe a few months?
EN: But my friend, I asked her recently, she said, "No, we didn't come until towards the fall of '45."
SY: I see. So it's closer to a year that you were, that you were the only one.
EN: Right.
SY: That's a long time. And you, so a lot of things must've happened during that year. I mean, it was...
EN: I suppose, but I really can't remember, I just remember that I had these wonderful friends and took part in a lot of activities, but not too much detail rises to the surface.
SY: Right. And you also had, had school that you were dealing with.
EN: Yes.
SY: And you were, what were you studying?
EN: I think I, because I'd worked at the camp newspaper I was taking journalism as my major.
SY: And enjoying that too, the school part?
EN: Yes, I enjoyed it very much.
SY: And with mostly Caucasian friends, then what was your social life like? Was it, was it drastically different than from camp?
EN: I don't believe I went to any dances or anything, but I do recall -- I was thinking about it last night -- I did go to a dance or a party, something, involved going to the party with one of your teachers and so I chose my -- this is apparently after my parents had joined me -- and I chose my art instructor. And he was a very nice older gentleman, and so he picked me up and my mother had made him a corsage out of radishes and things, a cute little corsage, and we went, I guess, to this, I don't know whether it was a dance party or what, but it was kind of fun.
SY: That's very nice. But as far as other people your age, you didn't date at all?
EN: I don't think so, not while I was going to school.
SY: Yeah, so it was mainly you were focused on your studies and going --
EN: And then I guess in the summer of, see, I came back in '44, in '45, summer of '45 the Student Relocation Council asked me to go to Gila to, I guess, help encourage students to go, leave camp and go to college. And so I just lasted one month there. [Laughs]
SY: Why was that?
EN: It was so hot. I guess I'd forgotten how hot it was in Amache, 'cause that was out in the desert also, but I stayed there a month.
SY: But you remember what you told kids?
EN: No, I don't. I just remember I stayed with a lovely family, I believe their name was Araki, and they had a lovely daughter, I think her name was Kiyoko.
SY: Did they have a son named Jim?
EN: I'm not sure. I think, when I stayed with them she was the only...
SY: Person in the family.
EN: Person there. Maybe she had a brother, I don't know.
SY: Or a son. Well, I, yeah, because I know that Michi Weglyn was in Gila, and she was one of the people that, with the senior relocation.
EN: Oh, really? Is that right?
SY: I was wondering if you might've encouraged her.
EN: I don't know. I don't think so. [Laughs]
SY: Do you remember talking to the young kids there?
EN: No, I don't remember any of the young people I met. I just remember one of the counselors, a hakujin man, and he was so nice, but I've forgotten all the names of all the people I met.
SY: And you stayed by yourself there too?
EN: I stayed with this family, but I just remember one evening we were coming back from one of our tours of the camps and there'd been a horrible accident and there were so many bodies lying around on the street. It was so kawaiso.
SY: Wow. It was a natural accident?
EN: It was a, no, a vehicle.
SY: Oh, a car accident.
EN: Car accident.
SY: And so...
EN: All these young people were lying around. It was so sad.
SY: Wow.
<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.