Densho Digital Archive - Yukiko Miyake Interview (denshovh-myukiko-01-0022)

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SY: Earlier you had mentioned that before the war, before people were picked up to go to Puyallup, the community felt a little bit careful about talking because they were afraid that other people in the community might...

YM: Because I remember when Henry got picked up, very few people came to see us because they were afraid I might say something about them or... yeah. I think at that time when they, the FBI started picking up people, I think they were really afraid of everyone, and it was a very close-knit family so I know one thing is I lost a lot of Henry's friends because they wouldn't come near me. They were so afraid that if they came near me, that they would be picked up, too. And it wasn't so because from what I have heard, already the FBI knew who to pick up. And, see, when the war started on December -- was it December 7? -- all the people that were supposed to be picked up were picked up. And then they went on the line.

SY: Do you remember -- can you tell me what it was like when Henry was picked up? What happened?

YM: One morning, I think it was in February, we had worked late and I really don't remember, but all I know is that FBI came, two men came, and told Henry to... they were very nonchalant, as though nothing. Pack up your suitcase. You got to go to the immigration office and so he did. But they were very kind to Kako. They weren't kind, but they wouldn't go into her room because Kako was sitting like this and standing like this, and she wouldn't let them come into her room. And she had a dog -- come to think it, she had a dog and that dog was wagging his tail. I'm just remembering little things, but I think the FBI men went through her bookcase.

SY: Kako's bookcase?

YM: Uh-huh.

SY: So they went into her bedroom?

YM: Yeah, they did.

SY: Okay, but she didn't want them to.

YM: No, she didn't want them to come. But I forgot the detail of how they did it; but they went into her room, looked at her bookcase, but they didn't take anything. There wasn't anything to take because it was a stories of children and things like that. Then they left.