<Begin Segment 38>

BK: Also along the same vein, what were the worst long term effects of internment?

JT: Probably the... I thought our family was pretty good, but just looking at everybody else, I'm not sure how they were, but I think it brought us... the worst part probably for other people kind of served as a better part for me and for us. I think we got closer together because culturally, our folks never showed, demonstrated any kind of emotions and never really hugged the kids, the way we do now. We just smother them. But they didn't do that, and so I think we learned a lot from that, the closeness. And my brother, too. He just, he was so overwhelmed when he came back from the army and I threw my arms around him. He'd like to say, "Get off." [Laughs]'Cause he was just never used to anything like that. But now, he says, well just not too long ago, he said, "I really care about you." I said, "I know," and I said, "I'm not older than you either." He always tells everybody that he's older than -- I mean, that I'm older than he is. But I think the good part was that it just showed you how much togetherness there really is in your family and how much, if you needed support, they always would be there. So I find that... and the worst part, was just for me, it was a personal thing and unresolved things. So I think if I had something to tell anybody, I'd tell them to get it out, say it, if you have a problem. Just don't hold it. Let it be known, because it can be resolved. So that was the part that was the most difficult. But on the other end of the spectrum is the fact that we are closer together for that. And my mother died when she was ninety. I mean, she lived a nice long life. My sister is ninety now, and, heaven help her, probably we'll have longevity in my family, too, hopefully.

BK: How have your views about internment changed over the years?

JT: Well, I think, I think it's just a matter of maturing and I feel that I probably would never have wanted to miss it, had it have to happen, I wouldn't want to do it, because it teaches you so much. And I think you have to cherish the things you have. Make the most of everything that you have while you can because what I lost is lost. I never went to, went on to college, 'cause we just couldn't do that. My brother, he started, had the chance and he did what he could do and he didn't graduate, but he went into professional school, I mean, the arts and things like that, so that was great for him, but I never, I didn't get the chance to do that and I married young and I don't have any regrets. It's just that I would have done more with what little we had. But then that's kind of like putting the cart before the horse kind of thing, and you learn a lot from... but mostly I think just to express yourself and be yourself and don't worry about other things. What's possible is possible and what can't be done, can't be done, and you might as well handle it that way.

<End Segment 38> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.