<Begin Segment 23>

ES: This is some of the talents that were in camp that came to Heart Mountain. This is called shibai, and they performed this one evening, and I was able to take this picture. Some of these people are professional peoples.

WH: Was this a real treat for the Isseis especially?

ES: Oh, yes. Very much a treat for the Isseis, Kibeis. I think the younger people enjoyed it, too, because here we are, behind barbed wire fence, and we see these different activities. And to me, it was very good to have these activities, because it keeps them out of mischief, learned the culture of Japanese people, and why it is important to keep these cultures.

WH: Did you have to pay to attend these performances?

ES: No, all the performance and activities are open to the public.

WH: Do you think the Caucasian administrators worried that all of this Japanese activity was happening?

ES: Well, that's one thing under our Heart Mountain government constitution, in other words, we, persons of Japanese ancestry, had got up the constitution telling the Caucasian personnel what we'd like to do and what we were going to do. And they seemed to not object to what we did. I think we had a very understanding group of persons, Caucasian personnel, that really understood our predicament. And all I find, all along through my association with the Caucasian personnel, they were very compassionate and understanding because all the ones that were not compassionate were discharged or left their duties. They just couldn't work with us.

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 2005 Densho and The Japanese American Film Preservation Project. All Rights Reserved.