Densho Digital Archive
New Mexico JACL Collection
Title: Charlie Matsubara - Mary Matsubara - Evelyn Togami Interview
Narrators: Charlie Matsubara, Mary Matsubara, Evelyn Togami
Interviewer: Danielle Corcoran
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Date: May 28, 2012
Densho ID: denshovh-mcharlie_g-01-0023

<Begin Segment 23>

DC: So this is part three of the interview on Japanese experiences in New Mexico during World War II. We wanted to ask you if you knew about the internment camps for the Issei that were located in New Mexico while they were open?

MM: The one in Santa Fe? We knew about it.

DC: What were you thoughts about the existence of those camps and about people of Japanese descent being held there while you were living here in Albuquerque?

MM: Well, I do know that one of my friend's father was in Santa Fe. And then of course there were a lot of Buddhist priests, huh?

CM: Yasuda.

MM: Yeah, and another friend, huh? But I remember when my... when To-chan passed away we went to Santa Fe to see if one of the Buddhist priest or reverend would come out for the service, and I don't know whether they did come or not, did they? They have to get, have an excuse to come out anyway, but I can't remember that far back, for her funeral, do you remember?

ET: No I can't remember that she tried to get anybody.

MM: We tried at Santa Fe but I don't know what happened. It's funny, you know, when you get to be almost a hundred, I tell them don't get mad at me, I says I can, I deserve to forget sometimes. Isn't that right?

DC: Absolutely.

CM: The reason why, because we had no direct family member in Santa Fe.

MM: Just friends.

CM: So if you have direct family member, then you have more close contact and know about Santa Fe, but since we didn't have those...

ET: We just heard that there was a camp. In fact, did I go with you, Steve, or... no it, no, he wasn't born yet I don't think. Wait a minute, no he was, but the they had a meeting or something in Santa Fe, so I went and it was kind of at a hill up there in Santa Fe. They had a real nice monument looking thing, but that's about it. I don't know anybody else that was in there. Even the one in Lordsburg, is it? I've heard about different ones but I don't know of anybody being there.

DC: So when the camps were open, did you think much about them?

ET: Well, I wondered who they were and how, you know, I bet they weren't having a good time. They were elderly men, you know, so I'm sure they had a rough time. I don't know because I haven't talked to any of them.

CM: Santa Fe was all man camp.

DC: So do you think that there are any lessons that we can learn from your experiences that are applicable to society or politics today?

MM: Well, you know, I don't think anybody in the high level care about what we think because they're determined to do it their way.

ET: I don't know, not knowing those guys, I don't want to say. Maybe they might have thought good about it but yet maybe they didn't want to say anything. I don't know.

DC: Which guys?

ET: The head guys, the big guys. [Laughs]

DC: You were saying you don't think something like this could happen today.

CM: No.

MM: I don't think so, I don't think so. I think all our generations are old enough to voice whatever we feel, whereas we didn't during the war time.

CM: And another thing that, intermarriage is taking place. That makes a big difference in the feeling. Before, it was all Japanese more or less, ninety-nine percent of it. Now it's 50-50 about, intermarriage.

MM: But we all get along. You know, we all get together and we all get along. And sometimes some of those Japanese girls got some good looking men, huh?

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 2012 New Mexico JACL and Densho. All Rights Reserved.