<Begin Segment 8>

TI: So tell me, when you went to Tule Lake, how was Tule Lake different than Minidoka?

WS: Well, Tule Lake was, they got the barbed wire all the way around, they got these tower with the soldier there, and anytime a soldier was up there with their guns pointed towards the fence all the way around, there were quite a few, what do you call, tower. And if he comes close to the fence, they'll holler on that megaphone and tell him to, "Get back in."

TI: So for you, did this make you more nervous, being at Tule Lake than Minidoka?

WS: Oh, yes. Minidoka, they got all the barbed wire all the way around, they took 'em all out. They took 'em all out, and people were free to go all the way into the sagebrush area and walking around, do whatever they want. So that's when we were free to go all the way over to Eden. And then on top of that, people would be given a pass to go to Twin Falls.

TI: So at Tule Lake, people weren't allowed to go to, like, Klamath Falls or anywhere around there?

WS: No, don't allow to go anywhere.

TI: And so did that surprise you, when you went to Tule Lake, how much more security there was?

WS: What was that question?

TI: Were you surprised that Tule Lake was so different than Minidoka?

WS: Yes?

TI: Were you surprised about that?

WS: Not exactly. They had the riot and all that, and so the people were kind of, pretty much concerned about that Tule Lake. But at least they were not allowed to go anywhere you want.

TI: Now were you at Tule Lake when they had the riot?

WS: Yes. They had the, they had the riot, but then I did not join 'em. Anyway, they were pretty careful about people going out anywhere.

TI: Now, did you ever participate in any meetings or discussions with people who wanted to go back to Japan? Like the Hoshidan or people like that, would you get involved with those groups?

WS: No.

TI: Now, why didn't you? Because again, they probably were interested in you because of your Japanese education and language. Did they ever try to make you become like a leader or anything like that?

WS: Well, now, the block manager, block manager was constantly saying, "I don't see any report from you that wants to go to Japan." I said, "I don't want to go to Japan at this time."

TI: So did you change your mind? When you were at Minidoka, were you thinking maybe you would go to Japan, and did you change your mind at Tule Lake?

WS: No.

TI: And so did you want to go to Tule Lake, or would you rather have stayed at Minidoka if you had your choice?

WS: Well, they didn't give you no choice. They more or less forced you go to. Like the people who went on a second trip to Tule Lake, they were, there was only two carloads, two carloads that went to Tule Lake.

TI: You mean from Minidoka? Only two train cars?

WS: Yeah, two train car was for the Tule Lake, and the one that went out first was from Japan, wanted to go to Japan was, they must have had about six train to take them over to Tule Lake. But the Tule Lake group that we went, the one that we went was mostly "no-no" group or the, like the Mr. Seko, you've heard of him. Mr. Seko was interned over to... where was that, anyway? In Montana.

TI: Missoula, Fort Missoula, Montana?

WS: Yeah, Fort Missoula. Lots of the Seattleites, the government leaders and such, was all picked up and taken over to Missoula, Montana. And after they'd been hearing various explanations, they figured that Mr. Seko and such was not dangerous character. And then they shipped him back to Minidoka, but then they didn't want to keep them there, so they had Mr. Seko and his family was also shipped over to Tule Lake.

TI: And when you were at Tule Lake, you mentioned your block manager would always ask you, "So when are you going to decide about going to Japan or not?" Was there lots of pressure or tension about that question?

WS: Well, in a way, he was looking at all the mail, everything that comes in. That goes over to block manager, and that's where they look at all the letter that comes in. So the block manager was kind of nosy.

TI: Okay.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.