<Begin Segment 31>

BK: In what ways do you think internment changed you?

SU: Oh, I think it developed all of us. But I've noticed the bitter ones, the ones who are still bitter, have always been that kind of a person, back when even. When life was hard, they would be bitter about how life is. And so when they went through evacuation, they could find only the worst part of what we went through. Forget about the good parts. But we do think about it. We haven't forgotten. We haven't forgotten. And my children have never asked me. Have you asked your mother?

BK: Yes, I have.

SU: My children haven't. So we've never discussed it.

BK: Yet, they're aware of it. I don't know. Okay. I don't know if it was, if they feel it was too painful at a time for you, or what then?

SU: I don't know. Someday.

BK: When they see this, they will then know the whole story.

SU: Perhaps.

AI: Have any of your grandchildren asked?

SU: No, not about camp. But they've asked about our roots. See, I have one son, four daughters. And the one son is married to a Caucasian girl. And she has two children of her own, which I always include in my numbers of grandchildren. And they were the ones who started asking me, because it was one of the projects of their class, what their roots were. And they included us as their roots, too although my son is just a stepfather. But they've asked me. They're the only ones who have had projects like that.

[Interruption]

BK: Was there anything about the internment experience that affected the way you raised your children?

SU: That I can't say. Let's see, when we came back, we went to the First Baptist Church. That was all with white people, but it didn't seem, they got right into the groove of it. And they started school. And they've never been sorry they're Japanese or anything like that. And they must not resent being Japanese, 'cause they haven't shown that rebellious part --

BK: Right.

SU: Either.

BK: Right.

SU: They just, and then when they got married, they all moved out to the suburbs, because of their children. So I really don't know how it affected them. As I said, I don't show my feelings so much, so we don't really communicate, I guess.

BK: But through your actions, you do show your feelings, your warm, supportive feelings, yeah.

<End Segment 31> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.