<Begin Segment 48>

AI: And then, was it some time in the '90s when you had an experience that you, you went to see an exhibit? Was it about Anne Frank?

KM: Oh, that?

AI And, you were, started to...

KM: Well, I don't know...

AI: Can you tell me a little bit about what happened?

KM: Well, see, during the camp, when we were in camp, everything was focused on ourselves and being in camp. I didn't know that other people in other parts of the world was going through, like a holocaust or like Anne Frank. And then, so when they had this Anne Frank's diary, I was very interested in what happened to other people and how they were treated. And not knowing that the day that we went, the reason we went was, they said that day was free. [Laughs] And so we went and it was a children's school day, so there were a lot of buses in front.

AI: At the museum?

KM: At the museum. And then as we went around and, then another, second thing that interested us was that the artist was from the Gila camp. His name was, Japanese name now, popular name, now I forgot that name, that name escape me. So I was looking at it and then this man, he was a docent, and he says, "Had you had an experience in camp?" I said, "Yes, I'm from this same camp." And then he says, "Well, would, do you mind saying something to the children if I put them in a circle?" Well I said, "Well I hadn't, I'm not prepared or anything, but I'll just tell them what I think." He said, "You know, it doesn't have to be long, just tell them what your thoughts were about going into camp." And so he gathered this one group of certain school, there were several school represented there, and I sat and I told them. And I just finished and another bunch came and sat down and they didn't get to hear it. So they left, and they, and I had to tell another one. And just kept on doing that, and finally I said, "You know, I really have to go home." [Laughs] In meantime, my husband was in the bathroom. And he said, "I'll meet you over here by..." Where we were looking at -- Ogata, his name was Ogata, the artist. And I was looking at it, and then he says, "Gee," he heard my voice. And he said, "What is she doing with all the children around?" And he finally saw me in the middle, and so he just sat down. And later he says, "What in the world were you doing?" So I said, "I was looking at this and this man came over and asked me to talk, and so that's what I was doing." [Laughs] So he kinda had a chuckle over that. But there were several teachers that came too late and they couldn't hear any of it. So they told me if I would come to their school on a certain day. That's how I got started in elementary school. And then in response the students, the pupils wrote a book of what they thought of my talk. And each in their own way, and picture of me, and picture of a scorpion. [Laughs] And then they sent it to me with my picture taken in front of the kids. They were really impressed.

AI: Wow. What were some of the kids' reactions?

KM: Well they felt, they felt very, very sorry. And then, that we had gone through the inconvenience. They hoped that, and they mentioned that war is terrible and that they hoped that this never will happen again. And it's all real nice, loving thoughts.

AI: Do you think any of these kids had ever heard about the camps?

KM: Uh, I don't know whether they heard about the camp. I don't know about that. It didn't seem like it. But when I, I took them my duffel bag and showed them, and then I showed them the family number -- we didn't go by names, but we went by our family number. And then we put whatever we can go, and that's what we lived on for three and a half years. And they said, "Oh, when we go on a trip we take a great big suitcase," and so forth. So they compared and they realized.

AI: Well, and so then with this beginning it sounds like you received more and more requests to come to other classes.

KM: Well, no. When the Anne Frank exhibit was closed, well then that was the end of me too. 'Cause see the subject, the interest was kinda, it was shifted to other.

AI: Right. But during that time period when you went to the classes, can you recall what some of the questions were that the kids asked you?

KM: Yeah, well, let's see. What did they ask me? They asked me, "Did they have a movies there?" Or what kind of food we had, and what kind of bed we had. You know, personal, living things. And so I told them the best we could.

AI: Well, and you had mentioned a little bit earlier, too, that then your grandchildren became interested in knowing what happened.

KM: Well, I still think they got it from the school. They got a subject to choose from and then, 'course being grandparents, they thought that we may know the background more. But, you know, they didn't, I couldn't get too far. They could get my father and my mother, and then their father and mother, that's as far as we got. But so they wanted to know a lot of traditions and customs. And so I told them lot about New Year's celebration and different holidays. And they were, so I wrote it all out. From that they took what interest them, and made report on that. And they gave me a copy, which I was very proud of. [Laughs]

AI: Well, so many things have happened that you've told us about. I really appreciate it. Is there anything else that you wanted to mention? Anything else that you recalled, or anything else that you'd like to say?

KM: Well, probably after I get home I'll have, think of lotta things, but I think I've covered most of the things.

AI: Well, thank you very much for your time and for sharing all your memories and experiences.

KM: Thank you.

<End Segment 48> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.