Densho Digital Archive - George M. Yoshino Interview (denshovh-ygeorge

<Begin Segment 14>

TI: Okay, so before we go to the farm work, how was your family adjusting to Tule Lake?

GY: Well, we adjusted okay, I think. Of course, we all lived in one big room, had our meals at our community mess hall, and that's about it.

TI: And what about communication with your father? Was there any communication that you were aware of?

GY: No communication. From, when they took him to Seattle, I saw him once. I took him some clothing, and they moved him. They moved 'em all to Missoula, Montana. From Montana they moved him to New Mexico. All that time, I didn't see him at all. He must have written Japanese letters to my mom once or twice, but that's it. And then I don't know what he was held up for or nothing. All I heard that they had all kinds of records of him going to Japan to pick up his wife. Where he stayed and how much money he took and stuff like that. But aside from that, I don't know what they held him for. I don't think they held any of 'em for any particular thing, just trying to round 'em up, that's all.

TI: And so was your father in these Department of Justice camps all the way through the war, or was he ever reunited with...

GY: He came back to Minidoka, Idaho, camp in '43, 1943.

TI: Okay. So it sounds like when they did the "loyalty oath" and then they moved people around, your family went from Tule Lake to Minidoka?

GY: Yeah. I didn't go to Minidoka myself, I never did stay there. I was outside, I was working outside.

TI: Now, because you worked outside, I'm curious, did you have to fill out that "loyalty questionnaire?"

GY: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, that was before I even moved out.

TI: And so what was your reaction when you saw this questionnaire to fill out?

GY: Well, the thing that hits you is, "Why are they asking us this kind of questions when they brought us here anyway?" Some of 'em objected to that, and I think most of us signed, okay, we will protect the United States and bear arms and stuff like that. But big deal. [Laughs]

TI: Do you recall ever talking to anyone about how to answer the questions? Did anyone try to approach you and tell you what you should do or not do?

GY: Oh, yeah, the talk was there, but I don't think nothing happened. I think most of us Niseis, I think we signed the thing "yes-yes" and we got out of there. We had to get out. Some of the Kibeis maybe had different thinking, so they must have held on. So, okay.