Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Hiroko Nakashima Interview
Narrator: Hiroko Nakashima
Interviewer: Tracy Lai
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: October 15, 1999
Densho ID: denshovh-nhiroko-01-0014

<Begin Segment 14>

TL: When the war ended, did that make you feel hopeful that you could return to the United States, or did you think that maybe you should just stay with your mother and sister and keep working as an interpreter?

HN: Oh, no. I wanted to get back to America. But, well, my sister couldn't come back because she was twenty-one and she voted. And they said, "If you vote you're a Japanese national." So she was planning to come back with me, too, but she couldn't. So I had to go back by myself. But I met friends on the ship, too. They were all probably like what we were, Kibeis, going back. So it wasn't too bad going back by yourself 'cause you meet people on the ship.

TL: It seems that for some Kibei, they became more comfortable talking in Japanese. When you were on the ship did you find that everyone would switch back and forth, English and Japanese, or do you remember anything about that?

HN: They all spoke English. Yeah. Because we were, most of us were born and raised 'til we were at least -- what? -- twelve, thirteen years old. And then we were in Japan only about seven years, so English was stronger, yeah.

TL: So where did the ship take you? Did you leave out of Yokohama again?

HN: Uh-huh.

TL: And from there where did you end up?

HN: I think it went to San Francisco. We landed in San Francisco and stayed there for a little bit. Then we had to take the train back.

TL: And where did the train take you?

HN: To Spokane. Yeah. I don't remember too well.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.