<Begin Segment 26>

[Translated from Japanese]

I2: There was the loyalty questionnaire in Jerome. You didn't answer "no" to the questions but were intending to go back to Japan. You were going to return to Japan with U.S. citizenship. You didn't think about renouncing your U.S. citizenship. You were just thinking about returning to Japan.

TY: No. I wasn't thinking about the citizenship at all.

I2: You had the questionnaire in Jerome. Did you submit any requests like for the improvement of the living conditions prior to the questionnaire when you were in Jerome?

TY: No. I never did.

I2: You didn't.

TY: I contacted the authorities for the first time when I was sent to Tule Lake. I hadn't done anything until then.

I2: Did you have any intention to return to Japan and live as Japanese right after you were sent to Jerome?

TY: I didn't think that way at all. Never.

I2: You didn't think that way at all. When did you start thinking about going back?

TY: That was after I was sent to Tule Lake. I was forced to live with those who were loyal to the U.S. government in a place where we were supposed to be able to live as Japanese. I thought it was wrong. Many problems emerged from both sides because of that. We needed to request the administration to re-segregate us to avoid future conflicts before it escalates.

I2: So, right or left, Japanese or American. Tule Lake had people from both sides living together, and you started to think that choosing one side was the best way.

TY: Yes. The administration didn't give us a clear answer or statement. The government was being ambiguous about it. I thought we needed to take the initiative for our own future. I wanted to go back to Japan. Not because I felt strong loyalty to the Japanese government. I was determined to go back to Japan because I am Japanese. I am one individual, and U.S. citizenship didn't make any difference.

I1: People were allowed to submit their request to be sent back to Japan while you were in the assembly center, but you didn't do it.

TY: Assembly center?

I1: Assembly center. While you were at the Fresno Assembly Center.

TY: There wasn't any renunciation movement at that time. We didn't know what was coming ahead.

I1: I don't think there was any movement, but you could have submitted a request. Some people did.

TY: Already at that point?

I1: But you didn't. You expressed your desire to go back to Japan for the first time when you were asked to fill out the questionnaire.

TY: Yes, because I was asked to answer.

I1: You said you wanted to go back.

TY: Yes. If it hadn't been for the questionnaire, we would have stayed in the United States. Everything got complicated because of the questionnaire.

I2: You wanted to go back and thought you had to. Did the fact that your mother lived in Hiroshima influence your decision? Or, did that have nothing to do with it?

TY: That was in my mind, but it wasn't the direct reason.

I2: Was there an influence by the Kai group?

TY: The Kai group got together and often discussed going back to Japan together. But we couldn't just go back without permission even though we wanted to. We could talk about it but were not going anywhere. It would have been great if the U.S. government had sent us back, but they were not coming up with any plans. So we decided to set our goal to go back to Japan and to express our intention. Issei didn't have U.S. citizenship and had nothing to renounce. We thought renouncing the U.S. citizenship would help Nisei to go back to Japan. We needed to separate black and white in order to improve our lives in the camp until we were allowed go back to Japan.

<End Segment 26> - Copyright (c) 2004 Densho. All Rights Reserved.