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Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Takae Tanino Walts Interview
Narrator: Takae Tanino Walts
Interviewers: Tom Ikeda (primary); Barbara Yasui (secondary)
Location: Emeryville, California
Date: April 21, 2022
Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-508-17

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TI: And, Tak, there was one thing that you mentioned during the preinterview, I just wanted to touch upon. There were some tensions at Tule Lake, especially amongst people who were going to Japan. And there were some families who had maybe brothers or people in the service. You mentioned an incident where maybe you or someone in the family was called the term "inu"?

TW: Yeah, "dogs."

TI: Can you share that story of how that happened?

TW: You know, I know that happened, but I don't recall myself being so offended about it. I don't think it meant that much to me at that age. I don't know what it did to Dad and Grandma. And, of course, Kats... Rye never went to camp and Kats left camp early because he had a friend in Bellevue, Dean Matson, that invited him, his family invited him to stay with them, so he went out early about a year earlier than we did when we were allowed to go out, August of '45.

TI: So let's talk about that a little bit. So Kats left Tule Lake early and was able to go back to Bellevue. When he did that, did you hear how, what he thought of Bellevue going back? Did he write letters or anything?

TW: I don't recall that.

TI: And so tell me about Dean Matson, this friend. Was this like a classmate of his?

TW: Yes, they went to school together.

TI: And the Matson family, did they have a farm?

TW: I don't recall a farm. They had a home, but other than that, I don't know that they had a farm. And I don't know what Kats did there.

TI: But it sounds like this was a case where the Matson family was really reaching out and trying to help the family and having Kats come. Because he lived in their home, right?

TW: (Yes).

TI: Do you recall any stories from Kats when he talked about going to Bellevue and living with the Matson family?

TW: No, I don't. I don't remember a letter from him or anything.

TI: But I'm thinking afterwards when you would see him, did he ever talk about what Bellevue was like when you first got there?

TW: No, I don't. I'm trying to remember what age he was. We sort of went our own way when we got out of camp.

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