Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Title: Miyoko Kaneta Interview
Narrator: Miyoko Kaneta
Interviewer: Virginia Yamada
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: October 12, 2018
Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-449

<Begin Segment 8>

VY: Okay, before we move on, is there anything else that happened in Poston that you remember that you'd like to talk about or that stood out to you?

MK: Yes. The first generation were very creative. We were just sand and barracks, but eventually, the menfolks started making gardens and putting plants, and even making little models of ships where they dug into the ground and made a little pond. Yes, that was very colorful. And it was fun to go by there and look at all the creative things they did.

VY: Do you remember if there was any unrest while you were there among workers?

MK: Yes. I remember hearing about one of the JACL officers, I believe, being beaten up in camp. And the administration from the outside was going to handle that and arrest the, I believe it was a Kibei-Nisei man that beat up the person. And so in opposition to that, our block leaders, the menfolk, got together and asked all the members in the whole camp, Poston I, to assemble at the administration building. And so we just went there, and there was no riot or anything, it was a very calm situation. But we just did what we were asked to do, and then eventually we were told we could go home.

VY: And was it successful?

MK: Yes, it seemed to be. I don't clearly remember the after event of that.

VY: Do you remember who the block leaders were? Like what generation?

MK: Block leaders were the young second generation men.

VY: Okay, so Nisei men.

MK: Maybe college age or older. And we had also a stage built, where people who wanted to do some acting or entertaining got up there. And I was also interested in Japanese classical dancing. So I joined the group, and we performed. But I remember every time this one woman wanted to take us up on the stage, we would have a dust storm. So that broke up the whole thing and everyone picked up their little chairs and went home. [Laughs]

VY: So did you ever get a chance to actually perform?

MK: Yes, we did. And, of course, we had Bon dances, too. And that's where my mother made my first yukata, summer yukata.

VY: Do you still have it?

MK: I still have it.

VY: Still have it.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2018 Densho. All Rights Reserved.