Densho Digital Repository
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Barbara Reiko Mikami Keimi Interview
Narrator: Barbara Reiko Mikami Keimi
Interviewer: Virginia Yamada
Location: Los Angeles, California
Date: February 5, 2019
Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-459-8

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VY: So in camp, when you interacted with your friends, did you speak English or Japanese, do you know?

BK: I think it was English.

VY: Do you remember things that you did together, activities that you did with other kids in camp?

BK: Well, I think we played Hide and Seek and Kick the Can and different kid games. And all I remember is that we had a communal bath, it was female and male, and I know we had a real big tub that they had built. And so I remember we used to, the kids, in the summertime or something, we would decide to go swimming in the big tub. And I remember the custodian that was manning the bathtub, heating the water for the bath and everything, he would always yell at us, "Don't go into that tub," and then we'll sneak in to go swimming or cool off or something. But I remember him yelling at us, like, "Get out of here," or something.

And then another thing I just remembered is when we went to the (2018) Tule Lake pilgrimage, I remembered a Japanese school teacher's name, which was Mukushima, Mr. Mukushima, Mukushima-sensei. And at that time, I was learning the multiplication table, and so I learned it in Japanese. And then all the rest of my life, I always did it in Japanese, my multiplication tables. And then at the last pilgrimage, I think it was last year or the year before, and it so happened that I ran across some people that also were students (of) Mukushima-sensei. So then they talked about learning the multiplication tables and everything like that from this teacher. And with all the teachers I've had, that's the only name I really remember. So then at the pilgrimage, we were talking in this group, found out that Mukushima-sensei's son was at the pilgrimage. And he said, "Oh, my last name is Mukushima, my dad was a minister. I didn't know he taught Japanese school." And we said, "Well, we learned the multiplication table," and it was a shock to him because I guess he was born in camp, at Tule Lake. And to this day, I guess he didn't know his father taught Japanese school, he just thought he was the minister. And so we talked to him and he goes, "Oh, my goodness, I never knew that." So he was very surprised. And all the students had all good things to say about him, like how he affected us by teaching us math.

VY: That must have been so moving for him to come there and learn about his father from other kids that knew him at the time.

BK: I'm sure it was. Because as it was to me, it was like, "Oh, I met his son."

VY: So you went to Japanese school and American school. Were different subjects taught in the two different schools?

BK: Yeah. Well, I think that in Japanese school, we'd learn how to read and write. But in American school -- I don't really remember these specific things that we learned, all I know is the long walk we had to take to get to elementary school. And then I remember (walking) through the snow and rain to get to elementary school. There would be, like, a group of us that would be going to school and then coming back.

VY: Yeah, so talk a little bit about the weather there. It was very extreme conditions.

BK: Yeah. Well, we used to have snow in there, but I don't know, it wasn't that bad where it was so miserable. I think we got through it, yeah. Because, well, all I remember, I guess, is like we used to have the summer festivals, and they would have the ondo dancing, and we would participate in that. I don't know where we got the kimonos, but I remember dressing up in the kimono and doing Obon dancing. Because I guess one of our friends that lived in the next block, she used to teach Japanese dancing, so I remember learning from her.

VY: Okay. Is there anything else that you remember about camp that you want to talk about before we leave that time?

BK: Well, I must have been a little brat, because I remember, like, I was friends with this guy that used to have to sweep the mess hall after dinner. And I don't know, he must have been, I guess, a teenager then or something, I don't know. But I remember I used to get on his broom and he'd push me as he's sweeping. And another thing, we used to have persimmons, and I remember he gave me extra persimmons, the soft kind. And so I took it back to our room, and then I must have ate too much because I remember getting really sick. [Laughs] Then, after that, I guess whenever -- I liked persimmons, but then the soft ones, I would kind of like, "Oh, I don't know if I want to eat it." But that's about all I remember.

VY: Do you remember how old you were when you left camp?

BK: Well, I think I was nine years old.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2019 Densho. All Rights Reserved.