Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Akiko Kurose Interview II
Narrator: Akiko Kurose
Interviewer: Alice Ito
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: December 2 & 3, 1997
Densho ID: denshovh-kakiko-02-0008

<Begin Segment 8>

AI: You knew it was going to be temporary, isn't that right? That the assembly center at Puyallup was temporary, and then do you recall when you found out that you would be going to a permanent camp, and what you were told?

AK: You know, from the beginning I just knew we were going to be placed elsewhere and... I don't know if I thought much beyond that.

AI: Uh-huh. And you were at Puyallup from springtime to about fall. And then, the time came for you to move to Minidoka. So I wanted to ask you to think back to that time and about when that was.

[Interruption]

AI: So, when we took the break we were just talking about the time that you were going to Minidoka. And, when you got there, again, did you recall any particular feelings or first impressions?

AK: Well, we had to go on these dirty old trains. And they must have pulled them out of... I don't know. I was shocked that they were even still in use, or, well, I guess they became in use because of our evacuation. The kind of fear that they showed was insulting and kind of, I thought, that at the time, I was thinking, "This isn't right." It seemed like they, at that time I thought, "My goodness, they seem to have gotten the worst things out for us." Worst equipment and whatever, just to transport us. And what did that have to do with us, our being shipped? It didn't seem a necessary kind of thing to do. It seemed to me that we could have been moved with a little bit more dignity. And I felt sorry for those soldiers, with guns. It must have been an awful feeling for them with all of us, and then they have to... I'm sure it wasn't very comfortable for them as well as for us, to be put in that role.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.