Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Warren Koichi Suzuki Interview
Narrator: Warren Koichi Suzuki
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: May 10, 2012
Densho ID: denshovh-swarren-01-0003

<Begin Segment 3>

TI: Now, did you keep in touch with any of your friends? Like after the war, did you ever get back in touch with friends?

WS: In Japan or what?

TI: Yeah, in Japan.

WS: Well, I don't know how you say that. After... anyway, after I finished high school, see, the high school was, I was supposed to graduate in June -- no, March. But then my teacher said, "We'll give you the certificate saying that you graduated from high school, high school, so we'll give you the diploma. So although you may be out earlier, you will be receiving a diploma." So, anyway, I came back to the States and then I went to the University of Washington right then. Now, University of Washington, they said, "You finished high school in Japan, but your English is not too good. So if you finish high school over here or if you get a diploma from the American high school, then we'll get you to the university." So I went to high school day school, and evening class, and then I got my high school diploma from Broadway High School. They didn't give me the certificate or diploma from Broadway High School until we got in... let's see, Puyallup. Puyallup at the... anyway...

TI: So why did it take so long to get the diploma? Because you then went to the University of Washington?

WS: Well... what?

TI: So after Broadway High School, then you went to the University of Washington.

WS: Yes, I did. But then that was, I went to the University of Washington...

TI: Like September? 1941, September?

WS: 1942.

TI: Oh, interesting.

WS: 1942, so I finished Broadway High School one year. And then I finished... then after I got the word saying that I am a graduate at the Broadway High School, then the university took me in.

TI: So you started the University of Washington after Pearl Harbor, the Pearl Harbor attack? So why did you want to start college after Pearl Harbor?

WS: Well, I didn't think it was going to be no problem going to the university. So anyway, I was attending the university, UW, and then that's when they sent me to Puyallup.

TI: When you were at Broadway High School, how did American, the other American students treat you? Did they accept you because you were educated in Japan, and your English wasn't as good, did they treat you well?

WS: Not exactly too well.

TI: Like what kind of things would they do?

WS: Well, they gave me a hard time, tough time going to the day school and whatever they... well, anyway, they taught me pretty rough in some of the class.

TI: Now, was that the Niseis also, treated you hard?

WS: The Nisei didn't, but these Caucasians was kind of real tough on me.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.