Densho Digital Archive - Jiro Sugidono Interview (denshovh-sjiro-01-0019)

<Begin Segment 19>

TI: Well, so while you were at Poston, eventually they came out with a "loyalty questionnaire."

JS: Oh, (yes).

TI: Do you remember that? What was that like?

JS: Oh, boy, that question, boy, that turned lot of friend against each other. 'Cause in a way, you can't blame the, the people who come from Japan, see, 'cause in a way, they were thrown in the camp. Some of these younger guys, they were younger than I was, they didn't understand that, the older Nisei told the younger guys to write, "no-no."

TI: So let me understand this. So there, like, younger Niseis who weren't as experienced, there were older ones who were telling them what to do?

JS: Oh, (yes). Lot of the older ones who resent being thrown in the camp, was kind of telling the younger Nisei what to do, influencing them, which is bad.

TI: Now, do you have a sense, these older Niseis who were saying that, was it because they were more pro-Japanese, or were they just angry at the U.S.?

JS: Some were, but most of 'em were resentful. (Yes), they were saying, "Why you want to go fight against your own country, I mean, fight for your own country when, heck, you get thrown in camp?" and things like that. And like me, I didn't have no qualm, I didn't think no way, I just said, "yes-yes." And a lot of the guys who said "no-no" was going to get sent to Tule Lake, eventually they were gonna get exchanged. I was wondering, "What was Tule Lake for?" that was the reason why. Lot of guys went there 'cause they were going to go back to Japan. Well, later on, lot of guys went there not because they wanted to go, but that's where they sent them.

TI: Now, did any of your friends say "no-no" and go to Tule Lake?

JS: Well, (yes), some of our friends went there, but I don't think he went to Japan. They were, certain block is pretty pro-Japanese. 'Cause if you say anything about join the United States, boy, they, I wouldn't say they'd do anything, but remember what happened to the JACL, Sato, he got beaten up. That was done by those, well, I can't say if it was Kibeis or those guys who was anti-American, I guess.