Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: June Takahashi Interview
Narrator: June Takahashi
Interviewers: Beth Kawahara (primary), Larry Hashima (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: November 17, 1997
Densho ID: denshovh-tjune-01-0014

<Begin Segment 14>

BK: Let me back up again a little bit to... I know at an earlier time, you had shared a story about the last time that you had seen your dad in Alaska.

JT: Uh-huh. Yes, that was when I used to go home from school, and he'd wave to me through the windows, you know, of the jail. And when he was in there at the beginning, it was the most difficult time because it was just, he was all by himself and I just couldn't understand why he was there. And so he would wave to me when I came back from school. And it was just, kinda, I guess you'd call it embarrassment or whatever and I just would run past that window and I'd wave to him and run. And I don't know why I didn't have enough guts to go up to the window and talk to him... excuse me. [Cries] And to this day I just regret that. And of course, when everyone else went it was more understandable, to me, anyway. He wasn't alone and they were there, too, so it just, it wasn't as difficult then. But what my mother and my sister... because I thought, well, they just can't keep them there forever. What are they gonna do? At that time anyway, my dad and the men were gone, they sent them on ahead. So it was a little easier.

BK: But because he was the first one taken and you had nobody else --

JT: No idea.

BK: No idea as to why he was taken...

JT: Uh-uh. The women wouldn't talk much about it, and I don't think they knew exactly what was going on either and they were just frightened and scared. As Frank says, they were just too scared to even think about things, except getting us ready to go. So, so...

BK: So actually that was the last time you saw your dad, was when he was waving from the jail.

JT: That was the last time I saw my father, uh-huh, uh-huh, the last time I was, waving from the jail. This was several days he would do this to me and I didn't do that until they took them, sent the men away and I would find, much to my shame now, I would find myself going to school in a different route, and so I wouldn't have to see him like that. And then, of course, they all left so it wasn't quite as difficult. And they did release the women after that, and we didn't need to keep our housekeeper or whatever you want to call her, cook. She was there with us, but she was not there because of choice, but they did have to pay her, of course. And they put up a collection to pay her for caring for us, but that wasn't -- it lasted probably about a week only. And then soon after that, of course, we were evacuated in April. So that must have been in March, they were there until March... I mean, they weren't there until April, but they were there in March and then, and then... see, my father was first, and then they picked up the men, women and then the men were separated and then about the time the women were all released it was probably March, we assume. We're not really sure of the month but we assume it was March because we just had enough time to pack everything up and dispose of the house, which we didn't do. We just put things up what we call, in the attic and stored it away and just closed up the house, basically. And the foreman of the cannery, a man named Mr. Ohmer, was to take care and look after the houses, but as Frank says, he understands, it was just not a very good job. The houses were rented out and who knows who got the rent, and one thing and another. It was just taking advantage of a good thing, what you would call. And the house was in disarray, of course, when everybody wanted to return home. But they were able to fix it up 'cause I never came home with them. I mean, as years passed, of course, I got old enough to stay by myself and stay down in Seattle with my husband's family at that time.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.