<Begin Segment 16>

DC: So then they issued Executive Order 9066 and you found...

CM: They gave you thirty days to make your decision to go to the concentration camp or you volunteer to evacuate yourself at an area... Saeda family, they decided to go back to their home in Albuquerque.

DC: So you stayed behind in California for a while?

CM: Yes. My brother and I stayed. We had thirty days to settle up what we have, so we sold whatever we can, five or ten cents to a dollar just to liquidate our stuff, because when you go to the camp, you only had one suitcase to carry, that was your total belonging that you could take.

DC: Did you expect that your family would ever return to Glendale to run the business again?

CM: Yes, I thought so, going back. But they settled in farming there so when, so I became a farmer, too.

DC: Just so I understand, you and Frank stayed?

CM: No not Frank, it was my second brother George.

DC: George, you and George stayed and everybody else went to New Mexico?

CM: Yeah, they did, followed the Saeda family.

DC: And they were already connected by marriage to the Saeda family, right?

ET: Well, Frank was married to our cousin.

CM: That was the connection.

DC: Okay. And the Saedas had a connection in Albuquerque so they could go.

CM: Yes, right.

DC: And were you required to have a connection in order to move inland instead of going to a camp?

CM: Well, for the volunteer, they have to get a traveling permit to leave the state of California during that thirty-day period.

DC: So most people couldn't go.

CM: Right, well, they had no outside connection to go to. You have to have a connection otherwise they won't give you that permit.

DC: So did you think about going with them?

CM: No. I had to... for thirty days I said I've got to settle up the property, what we have here, so I volunteered myself... the family, you guys go ahead, I'm going to settle up here and meet you later on afterwards.

DC: So were you expecting that you would have to go to a camp if you stayed behind?

CM: Oh, yes.

DC: Really? What were you expecting the camp to be like?

CM: Well there was all kinds of rumor, it was dusty, dirty, the food, no Japanese food whatsoever, and... well, I think in the first experience, when I first arrived at the camp, then they took us to the mess camp and the menu was this: beans, canned weenies, a hard roll, and applesauce. That was the meal. And I said, well this is not a good meal, but you won't starve to death.

DC: So how did you come to the decision that you were going to stay behind and try to tie up...

CM: Well, we worked so darn hard establishing our business, we... folks, we had a florist business and a garden shop on the side, and I took care of the garden shop and the folks took care of the florist, and we were well established. We had a lot of financial set up there and, and I said, "Well, I'm not just going to leave all this behind and go volunteer." I said, "I'm going to stay here and settle what we could get out of it." And like I said, it's five to ten cents on the dollar, so there were a lot of people.

DC: Did your family own a home, too?

CM: Huh?

DC: Did your family own a home, too?

CM: No, we had it leased. But we had the business, then you had all the fixtures and all that, and the delivery trucks and all that. And we could not take any vehicles to the camp or anything, you had to get rid of all that.

DC: So how long did you think you'd be in the camp?

CM: No idea.

DC: So wasn't that scary?

CM: But you know, camp life was a easy, lazy life. You just sit in there and they'll feed you and, you know... not the best of food but it was just the GI army food they served. But as the days went by, they improved their menu. They changed it to suit our taste. They were able to get rice and feed us rice.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2012 New Mexico JACL and Densho. All Rights Reserved.