<Begin Segment 15>

DG: So how did you feel about the government then?

FH: I wanted to get away from the war stuff. I don't like this. Nothing gains from it; nobody gains. War's no good. I don't want war. I don't see why we can't get along just staying home and do our own business. But I think we all feel that way. We're not, I don't know what we're afraid of. I'm just stupid. [Laughs]

DG: No you're not.

FH: I think every country have their own right, and just like your neighbor, countries should be just like our neighbor. I mean, we don't... I don't know. I have good neighbors, but we don't wanna, I don't wanna know what they're doing every minute, none of our business. Yeah, but they're all good to me. I have the best neighbors -- although I'm living by myself, they're all looking out for me. And I don't see why countries couldn't do that. U.S. just look out for yourself, that's all. Russia, other countries. I don't know. I can't understand why this world cannot be peaceful. If we mind our own business, I think. But we depend on other countries, too, uh-huh. But I don't see why we couldn't do it friendly terms, help each other, not by fighting.

DG: And do you remember how you felt about the U.S. government when you had to leave home and go into concentration camps?

FH: Well, I thought we're citizens, but they can't, they can't say, tell be -- we looked different, so I guess that's the only way they could... might have been to protect us, I don't know. So we must do what they want you to do, and just follow the government, what they want to do. Go peacefully, no use arguing, especially when your children are young. You think of them, their future, too. I was afraid of that a lot, because they might not give them citizenship. But I think it's only one world, and I don't know. I still don't know why we can't get along. Yeah, but there's a lot to it, politics, I guess, more than you think. We need help, and they need your help. I don't know. What do you think?

DG: I agree. [Laughs] You're the wisdom here. So -- were you going to say something?

FH: Well, I don't know why we couldn't have a peaceful life, just everybody tend to your own business, you're all right. Everybody's your friend. I don't care what, what color or what nationality, they're all our friends. But I don't know, when it comes to politics, I guess it's different. They're all... I can't understand. There's a lot of things I can't understand. [Laughs] Especially, to me, everybody's, I feel like they're my friends. I don't know, from bad to, there are bad guys, I know. You read in the paper, but I can't understand.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.