<Begin Segment 22>

WH: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us before we stop?

ES: Well, after all these years of my life, I have never read, heard of anything like this where persons of Japanese ancestry has experienced. And I always thought, all the experiences I have gone through, that history of persons of Japanese ancestry should be preserved for a long time to come, that's the reason why I'm very much interested in this museum. And persons who are eager to preserve this type of history, I think we can do better, one better in preserving this history by having different museums, L.A. museum, San Jose, Chicago, and San Diego, is it, has a museum. Portland, Oregon, has a museum, and all these relocation centers being preserved as a historical spot, but only a few of them can do much because they haven't got the backing and resources of materials all gone.

WH: So that's why you've put a lot of your heart and soul into this museum.

ES: Right.

WH: Well, thank you. Thanks very much.

ES: Okay, I thank you and I hope that history will be preserved.

EO: Those images you've got are just fabulous.

ES: Pardon?

WH: Those images that you captured are just wonderful. You help us all remember.

ES: Yeah, I can't forget our Isseis. After you talk to the Isseis, kawaiso. They come up so far, raise their children, and they had to be turned into the concentration camp. Not only that, the Isseis that were old, old and feeble, ill, had no relative or anyone to look after, talk to. They were brought over here on the last train from Heart Mountain into Santa Clara County Hospital, and I visited them a couple of times because I felt so sorry for them. But they were laying in beds and just open their mouth and, you know, they can't talk much. Oh, it's just a terrible condition. If they had some relatives or some yoroin, old peoples, Japanese old home, would have been much more pleasant if they passed away. But when I think of those people, there's lots and lots of history, how Japanese ancestors came to the United States and survived and brought up their children and sent 'em to school, educate them. They didn't think about their own self, selfishly, they thought about their children and the future of their children. So I'm greatly interested in preserving the history of Japanese.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2005 Densho and The Japanese American Film Preservation Project. All Rights Reserved.