<Begin Segment 12>

EG: I understand that Tule Lake, when it became the segregation center...

PT: Yes.

EG: ...that a group, a large group as I understand it, of the internees there pretty much organized the camp and pretty much ran it. Especially for those who were planning to return to Japan. They were acculturating the folks...

PT: Right.

EG: ...that were going to go back to Japan. And pretty much dominated the camp, including and especially the training, for return to Japan. Must have been very different from what it was before, I would think.

PT: Well, it was different. But again, being young, I was able to just accept it. And just go along with it like everything else with this experience.

EG: Also, you have a high motivation because as far as you knew, you were going to Japan...

PT: Yes.

EG: ...and this was preparation for going to Japan.

PT: Yes, oh yes, yes. And I loved to study anyway. [Laughs] So I really enjoyed my classes. But I remember that when I did transfer over to an American school, my teacher planned a field trip outside of camp, climbing Castle Rock, which was a mountain close to our camp. And so I remember some men approaching my father and telling him that he should not allow me to take this field trip, and they also encouraged him to have me -- oh, I can't think of the word right now. My citizenship, you know, to...

EG: Renounce?

PT: Yes, to renounce my citizenship. Thank you. I couldn't think of the word. But he put his foot down. He said, "No, Ayako was born in the United States and the citizenship is her right," and he will never ever renounce, have me renounce my citizenship. And he just told the men, "She is going on this field trip."

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.