<Begin Segment 17>

TI: Okay, so she... yeah, must have been so hard for her. So no house, what did the family do? You have this, I'm picturing this visually, and you have this truck, you're there, it's probably dark, and someone says you have no place to live.

TH: Well, one family let us use their barn. And so we stayed in that barn for I don't know how long, and there was another family, name was Johnson, in Vale, said that, "You can pitch (a tent)" -- because we all had tents, strawberry farmers had tents, in case there's pickers that wanted to live there. So we had tents so this Mr. Johnson said, "If you want to pitch your tent, you can pitch as many as you want on my farm." He was another kind person. And they talked it over and they decided to sharecrop with him, so he helped us a lot. But we pitched tents.

TI: And do you remember how many... this is interesting, how many tents were there, were they the canvas tents?

TH: Yeah. I just remember our (family) had about three of them. And then the other Japanese people... let's see, the Hasuikis and Sunamotos and Hayashis. Seemed like there was one more, four families, we all had tents.

TI: Oh, so there were multiple families living on the Johnson farm?

TH: Right.

TI: And these tents all came from your family?

TH: No, we all...

TI: You all did because you were all strawberries.

TH: All berry farmers (had tents). And I don't know why they thought of taking, taking them with them, because we thought we were going to a house.

TI: Yeah, but I guess maybe some people thought just in case?

TH: (...).

TI: And how long did you... so you lived in a barn for about how long?

TH: Maybe just a couple of months, I think, at the most.

TI: And then how long did you live in tents?

TH: I just lived in it 'til the school started.

TI: And then what happened when school started?

TH: Oh, the Mormon people, I have to give them a lot of credit, they came and got all the kids. Because there were some that, my age or even some that were younger, because they didn't want to see us going to school from (a tent), I mean, going to catch the bus from the tent. So they came and I lived with the, their name was (...), AJ Plant, in Ontario, and I worked for my room and board, we all did that.

TI: I'm sorry, what was the name again?

TH: Plant, AJ Plant. I remember that, I don't know why.

BY: Was the name of the Mormon family?

TH: Family, yeah. I had to go to the Mormon church, but then that's okay.

TI: But they took in, I guess, the older kids who could be, like, houseboys and housegirls?

TH: Yeah. And there weren't too many of us, but there were other places that did that same thing (...).

TI: And so you did this, but your parents and I guess your brother stayed in the camps?

TH: Yes. Because Mr. Johnson had them sharecrop. And that part I didn't pay any attention, but I think they raised sugar beets.

TI: And eventually did they find other accommodations during the war, did they get a house?

TH: Right. And my brother, during the war, they wouldn't hire any Japanese. My brother started a grocery store in Ontario. So, and they had a big house.

TI: And this was during the war that he was able to...

TH: Uh-huh, still. And I don't remember the years or anything, but this Mr. Moore in Ontario, I don't know how my brother got acquainted with him, but he built a store. He said, "You just only have to pay me rent," so that's where my brother was. It was called Villa Park Market.

TI: So it sounds like there were people who went out of their way to help you and your family.

TH: They did. Yeah, I have no complaints about how we were treated.

TI: But on the other hand, were there other incidents where there were some people who didn't treat Japanese very well in that area? Like name calling?

TH: Well, especially in school, that's why I didn't want to go to Ontario school. Especially the boys were treated badly.

TI: So tell me about that.

TH: Well, I only know of one incident where one of these boys got a hold of someone's jacket and cut the sleeves off. And different little things, so you know there was some sort of hatred.

TI: And how many Japanese were at Ontario High school when you got there? Because you came from the west side along with other ones, and so did that, yeah, how many other Japanese were there?

TH: You know, I didn't stay there that long. I wanted to get out so badly. That's when I had that opportunity to take that test. I just knew that, I don't even remember going to school there, but I know I did, because I walked with the neighbor's kid to school.

TI: How about the tension? I mean, before the war, you had Japanese families who lived in the Ontario area, like the Watanabes and the Saitos. And so I'm guessing there was a prewar Japanese community, and then all of a sudden you have this "voluntary evacuation," kind of the problem that you were there originally where they said, oh, there were so many Japanese that they didn't want to rent that house. Was there, do you recall any tensions between the prewar Japanese in Ontario and the ones who came later?

TH: I never had occasion, ever. In fact, I had a couple of hakujin friends. In fact, Mr. Moore's daughter, Dee Moore and I became good friends, so they were a sympathetic family, actually.

TI: Or did you make any friends with any of the Japanese that were there before the war? Like anyone from...

TH: Oh, the Saitos and the Watanabes? Uh-huh, yeah.

TI: So you made friends with their kids?

TH: Right, yeah, and they were all our age or a little older.

TI: And did you ever sense any resentment from them, that you guys were coming?

TH: No. That too many Japanese were coming? No, never.

TI: Because I heard those stories, like in Spokane, Washington, that there was a prewar Japanese... and then a lot of Japanese from the west side or even resettling from the camps, and there was sometimes a tension between the two because... so just curious.

TH: Right. No, we were all... in fact, with the Watanabes, they had a Stan and a Jack, no girls. And then the Saitos had Paul and Abe, and I don't think they had any girls either. But they all associated with my brother and they did things.

TI: Okay, good.

<End Segment 17> - Copyright © 2022 Densho. All Rights Reserved.