Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Ayame Tsutakawa Interview II
Narrator: Ayame Tsutakawa
Interviewer: Tracy Lai
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: June 5, 1998
Densho ID: denshovh-tayame-02-0010

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TL: Did your parents, while they were in camp, did they take any of the jobs or the jobs that helped run the camp or teaching classes or that kind of thing?

AT: My mother. She wouldn't sit still [Laughs] so there was a canteen in the camp where they were selling some fabrics and some clothing, and she was sort of managing the place. And then, of course, there was a way to buy some food so instead of eating in the mess hall, we could cook in our barracks. So she used to bring home some fresh vegetables and meats and fish so we ate in our barrack from... if I go to this Tule Lake reunion maybe my block or the room that we had might still be there, and I'd like to kind of see. The barrack was one long building and the rooms, there were maybe four or five rooms separated with just a wall. But the way, we added a kitchen to the barrack on the side and so we were cooking our own meals.

TL: Sounds like maybe you ate better than people who had to go to the mess hall.

AT: I think so. I think she didn't want us to be like a beggar and go around with their tray and have our food poured on this plate so she thought we have our own family dinner.

TL: How about your father, did he take a job somewhere in the camp?

AT: No.

TL: So did he spend his time talking with the other men?

AT: Yes. I think they had a card game going every day [Laughs] in one of these bachelor's quarter.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.