Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Kay Matsuoka Interview
Narrator: Kay Matsuoka
Interviewer: Alice Ito
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: December 29 & 30, 1999
Densho ID: denshovh-mkay-01-0034

<Begin Segment 34>

AI: Well, I wanted to ask you a little bit more about the camp in general. You mentioned how there were the two camps...

KM: Uh-huh.

AI: ...the Canal Camp and the Butte Camp, and how you moved from one to the other one that was closer to the hospital.

KM: Uh-huh.

AI: Can you describe the camp a little bit more in general? What it looked like? The camp one and the camp two?

KM: Uh-huh. Well there was, camp one and camp two were similar. I mean, they were all barracks you know. Black tar paper on the wall, but then, some people said their ground, their floors were ground. But we had wood. But when we first went in there it wasn't a tight fit. And when the wind blows, or -- and we had lot of scorpions and Gila monsters and things like that come in. And some people, we've never had it in our bed, but they said they opened their bed and there was scorpions in there. And then I heard some people got bit, but I don't know anybody personally that got bit, it was just hearsay here again. But anyway, we would get up in the morning and clean up all our what little furniture we -- all our furniture was made by scrap lumber. And my husband, being a carpenter, he made me little vanity set and a little bench and things to make it look homey. But it was just white with dust. Because up there and down in there was -- and as we stayed the first winter, now it was cold, because whenever the wind blew through the cracks came in. But the second winter they had kind of like a pot belly oil stove and then floors were, had linoleum. And by then they had a division of the barracks and then we had separate door to go into. And so it was rather comfortable, I mean comparatively. And Japanese are noted for their gardening. And somehow, where they get all those plants, or maybe they brought seeds. Everybody was competing for their front part, garden. It was just a little square part, but they had flowers and trees. And by the time we left camp, it was like a park. But at first it was just kind of bare, nothing. And some people even had ponds and fishes in there.

AI: Is that right?

KM: You know, it was just their way of, they were, all the Japanese, they weren't idle. They made use of each, their time. And like Isseis, they went to English class to become citizens. And they went to sewing classes, or crocheting class, knitting classes. They really took advantage of all those things. And oh, the beautiful things they would make with their crafts, hands, you know. That's when I started my sewing classes at home. And then I got my sewing machine shipped.

AI: How did you do that?

KM: Well, the people that was taking care of Jack's farm was Jack's good friend. And then when we, we had agreement before we left that when, and he said, he's the one that offered. He said, "If there's anything you want us to send, send it, we can always deduct it from your expense." And so when Jack was in the hospital, I would make my different clothes, or I wore most of the clothes that I had already made. And nurse's aide, they were all young, some of 'em teenager, early twenties, and you know clothes meant a lot to them. And so they kept kinda giving me the once over and they said, "Gee, your wife sure dresses nice. And where does she get her clothes? Does she go -- ?" And at that time we were getting from catalogs, Sears and "Monkey Ward." And so, "Which catalog is it?" -- or something. And so Jack said, "Oh no, she's a dressmaker. She designs her clothes." And they said, "Oh, gee, I wonder if she'll do some sewing for me?" And then through that, they saw my work and said, "Gee, I wonder if she'll teach me?" And so, I think I had about six people coming at that time.

AI: As students...?

KM: Yeah.

AI: ...learning?

KM: And so, between going to take care of my husband, I had time enough to do different things. And that was after I had moved toward the hospital.

AI: So you were teaching dressmaking...

KM: Yeah, dressmaking.

AI: ...and also you were making...

KM: And also I was sewing.

AI: Sewing.

KM: Uh-huh.

AI: And what would you charge for a dress? Or a...?

KM: Well, dresses, I, from $1.50 to $2.50. [Laughs] And suits that were lined was $5. You know, you couldn't ask for more when we only got such a small salary, and we've all lost something. But, I just made it enough. And then they said, "Is that enough?" And I said, "Well, it's enough for me," anyway. And while I was doing this sewing one of my cousin -- when I first opened the dress shop back in Lomita, I asked her that if she wants to learn sewing that, she could come and learn. And my father had borrowed some money long time ago from her father and was unable to pay that. So I said, "In lieu of that," I said, "...I would not charge her tuition." But they didn't want to send them to me. They wanted them to go to an ordinary school where it was kinda real noted, had a reputable reputation. And so they went there. But you know when they were gonna go evacuate on their own from the camp to Minnesota, that's where they went, everybody was getting suit to go so they could get interviewed. And then both of the sisters came over and said, "I want you to make me a suit." And I said, "I'm not doing any sewing here." They said, "Oh yes you are, 'cause we saw the suit that you made for so and so." And so that's how the word got around. And so I couldn't say I didn't do it. And so finally I said to her, "You know, when I was sewing and I had my dressmaking shop, I asked you, and I told your mother that my father owed your dad some money. And I wanted you to come, and I wanted to repay that. And you refused to come because..." Not her, but mother didn't want you to come. And I said, "What did you learn in your sewing school? Didn't you learn how to make suits?" [Laughs] That was the first time I got kinda, you know. And then she said, "Oh, we didn't go into all tailoring and things like that. In fact, I don't even sew. I didn't learn anything while I was there." And says, "Please, please, 'cause I saw that suit that you did and I want a (suit) just like that." And so I said, "Well, okay, this will be free then." So I just made it for free for the two sisters. And they were very, very happy.

AI: And that's what they wore when they went out from camp...

KM: When they were out.

AI: ...to Minnesota?

KM: Yeah. But every one of 'em that went out for interview, they all dressed up in their suits. And oh, I was busy for a while there. Even if it was $5, you know, it was better than working for $12 a month. [Laughs]

<End Segment 34> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.