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TI: So going back to the JACL and James Sakamoto, I want to get a sense...

MI: Oh, James Sakamoto wasn't with the JACL then. He was strictly Japanese Courier, and he was in charge of the evacuation.

TI: Yeah, but that was kind of through the JACL though. He was still involved with the JACL.

MI: I know he was involved before, but I think most of his things were for the Courier.

TI: So I'm curious, how prominent was James Sakamoto in the community during this time? Because I read the Courier and...

MI: I think at that time, the churches and the JACL were stronger. And then he just went along with whatever orders came that he followed.

TI: Because when I read things -- because he had opinion pieces in the Seattle Times and things like that -- that he was, back then when I read things, the sense I get was that he was viewed as a community leader and the spokesperson for the Japanese American community, was that your sense? I mean, this is from reading things.

MI: I didn't read things like that then.

TI: But that's why I want to get your sense of just knowing who he was. Because I know he was also blind, you would see him going to mass.

MI: Well, he was opinionated.

TI: [Laughs] How do you know he was opinionated?

MI: I mean, all publishers are opinionated. And then I knew Hiroko worked for him.

TI: So let's talk about that. So how long did she work for him? This was like, she started before the war started?

MI: Yeah, well, right after she graduated, I think, she got a job with Jimmie Sakamoto. But, too, it could be that he's a Maryknoller and she's a Maryknoller, or maybe...

TI: Yeah, that makes sense.

MI: But she worked for him for the longest time.

TI: So when the war started, and you mentioned earlier how James Sakamoto was given responsibilities in terms of the removal of Japanese Americans, did she get really busy, busier?

MI: Well, she couldn't come with us when we evacuated. She had to stay back with Jimmie Sakamoto. And then it so happened that Zip Nomura and his bunch got into a real bad accident that he was in the hospital. And so they let her stay back because of Zip. And then, so my sister had to move in with Mr. Nomura.

TI: Oh, in Seattle?

MI: In Seattle when we had to go to camp. So we left much earlier than she came to camp. That part I can't remember whether she came back to Area B or whether she stuck in Area D to be with Jimmie Sakamoto, that part I don't know.

TI: Yeah, because when I looked at the government records, she was not included with your family.

MI: She had to stay back with Jimmie Sakamoto to clean up things.

TI: And then also help take care of Zip Nomura?

MI: Yeah, he was in the hospital.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2022 Densho. All Rights Reserved.