<Begin Segment 8>

TI: Let me ask the question again to start off... and so, let's jump to December 7th, 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. You were talking a little bit about Broadway High School and going there, predominantly a white high school. What were some of the reactions that you came across, after the war had broken out?

FF: Yeah, okay. I think, after the war broke out I happened to be in a movie, watching a movie at the time the announcement was made. Of course, Pearl Harbor being where it is, was a, two -- three hours later, is the time zone. And so, I happen to be in a matinee performance at the Paramount Theatre when I heard the news. And actually, I felt really very awkward about the situation, of course. But then we sat through the movie and then I, I didn't see any... there wasn't any hostile reactions toward me anyway. But I don't remember, recall any. In the schools I don't think, it didn't seem like things changed too much while we were in school. There wasn't, I don't think there was a heck of a lot of public discussion about the situation anyway. But after we were evacuated, I had heard really, that several of the teachers were like very happy that we had left. And so evidently there were many of them -- even that knew us -- that felt that we were subversive and potential spies and saboteurs, like the West Coast politicians were trying to make everybody think.

TI: It sounds almost like, was the situation, when you say you didn't come across very much reaction but I imagine there was a lot of talk. But perhaps not directly with the Japanese Americans, that probably in their own little groups they talked a lot about it, but didn't deal directly with the Japanese?

FF: Yeah, I'm sure that that was occurring. But there was... well, I would say that there was, I didn't see any overt negative reaction to us. But on the other hand, I didn't see anybody giving us any words of encouragement either.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.