Densho Digital Archive - Tom Matsuoka Interview (denshovh-mtom-01-0022)

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AI: But then when you came back in the U.S. in 1941 --

TM: When I come back, I don't know nothing. But when I, when I heard afterward that Japanese consul, they knew. They knew it. Yeah. They knew that, can't get over it. Well, then anyway it's 1941, December 7th, the war just started. And while I was outside and doing something and she [Points to daughter, Rae] come outside, "There's a war started and Japan bombed Honolulu right now." "Well," I said, "Well, if that's true, that's the big shot was saying about they gonna start a war sometime." Well, that time was all right. The day is done and nighttime come, here's the FBI come in, three of them come in.

AI: To your house?

TM: Yeah, try to pick 'em up. Not, not very friendly people. They show the card, but you can't even see the picture. They put it back in. Then they start, the desk drawer is upside down and whatever they like to take, they take, especially name card. All kind of stuff they took back. And then I... oh, yeah. Then they said maybe you better take your shaving -- no, not shaving. Washing. That's what they said, washing clothes or maybe you take something. So I just took something in the hand. I didn't even take a bag, nothing. So they took me into the immigration office.

AI: In Seattle? Took you to Seattle?

TM: Yeah. And I went immigration door, they don't call the name or anything. They call by the number 99. That's what my number when they took me into the immigration. That means those FBI before the war, they already check who they gonna pick. Then they had a number on that name, see. Well, I went to immigration office, there is about fifty people was in the one room and, "Oh, you came, too." "Oh, you here, too." [Laughs] Oh, sure funny thing. Then must be, so many first bunch, they took me into the other room, I think. And after, after Christmas they said they gonna move, "All you guys is moved to Missoula, Montana." And how about first bunch in other room? "They move before that, before you guys." And so next morning we went to the mess room, mess house, and everybody together, other room and our room. And they have to eat, talk to each other, and find out that first bunch they move to Missoula. I think it was right before Christmas. Anyway, we moved 27th, I think, after Christmas. 27th December, I think they moved to the Missoula.

AI: When you were there, what kinds of questions did they ask you?

TM: In immigration office? Nothing. No hearing, nothing. Well, the day move, day before, I think, move, whoever American birth certificate, don't have to go. So in our room was Roy Masuda and Roy Ito Kenji and Shinji Takahashi, Ozawa, and Main Fish no Kiyohara and one we used to call Kiyoshi. He was a big shot in Japanese gambling store, gambling place, and those all (don't) go. So meantime, "How about me?" And I didn't have a birth certificate. I'm Hawaiian-born. "No, if you don't have a birth certificate, you have to go." But all other had birth certificate. Only one didn't have it was Kiyoshi, that's the gambling boss. He was just like me, born in Hawaii and no birth certificate, but he had his dad was still alive and he was over here. I think he was in Yakima. I am pretty sure. So he came to prove that he born in Hawaiian-born. That why he don't have to go. So I have to go.