CONFIDENTIAL

Notes and Observations of "Kibei Meeting" held August 8th 1942 at Kitchen 15 - only Japanese spoken.

At 8:10 p.m., chairman Ben Kishi opened the meeting and announced that Chief and Asst. Chief of Police - Horton and Day - are to be removed and we want signatures on petition asking that they be retained. By this time hall was jammed with more than 400 and hundreds were standing outside. Speakers were heard outside thru loadspeaker [loudspeaker].

Chairman then asked audience to stand up for one minute of silence without giving reason. After everyone was seated again the chairman said that "this one minute of silence is for hope of peace at an early day" - everyone laughed and applauded. Chairman introduced the first speaker:

Raymond Hirai, Issei, Subject; "Internal Improvement of Manzanar"; I want to speak on the 'Seven Mysteries of Manzanar' - 1) Hospital has only 6 doctors and 3 dentists - not enough doctors. Any patient must wait 4 days for an appointment slip and then another 4 days for an actual examination. 2) Schools are supposed to be built here but instead Blocks 1 and 7 must move out to make place for schools. I will crack head of anyone who tried to people out of Blocks 1 and 7. 3) Food is supposed to cost 50 cents per day but now it is announced that it only costs 38 cents, and maybe July's cost will be 28 or 29 cents, because it was so bad. I lost many pounds. Demand more meat, eggs and butter. 4) Wages is another mystery here. I worked 28 days and got paid $2.78 (general laughter - "because of U.S. government" someone in the audience said). Some got paid $8.24 for not working a single day. Demand more money. 5) Housing is another mystery. No partitious [partitions] - government promised us to make partitions, where are they? 6) Relection [Reelection] of Block Leaders is needed. Some leaders are getting medals from administration. Block leaders use magic that's why I resigned. 7) Comouflage [Camouflage] net project is not started by the government - One block leader suggested it and the block leaders meeting voted for nets - vote was 7 for, 3 against. (who is this one leader, someone asked) He is Ted Akahoshi." (beat him to death, throw him out, goddam and other remarks were made - big applause with stamping of feet followed) (Some 20 girls, Kibei, were joining in this excited inflammable demonstration.) In conclusion I want to say something about my case. The administration has no sympathy for Japanese. Nash is dictator like Stalin. I told him, I would crack his head off and this Japanese girl chaser, Nash ran away. I'll start to circulate petition to oust Nash." (applause and feet staming [stamping] "Heil Hitler, Heil Hitler said Jackson Isjima, Kibei, always dressed in part of U.S. Army uniform and on Manzanar police force)

Chairman. I want to take a vote on 7 points - audience overwhelmingly approved speech of Hirai, with big demostration [demonstration] - applauding and feet stamping.

Kiyoshi Hashimoto; Kibei, Subject; "Status of Kibei". Only difference of ours is that we are educated in Japan. We are Americans why did they put us in camps? Why are they forcing us to work in camouflage nets? We are treated as enemy aliens. Why should we get sympathy from Americans. (usual demonstration - applause, etc.)

Chairman: I welcome all kinds of heckling but not cheap one.

Joe Kurihara - War veteran. "I was born in Hawaii, Never seen Japan. I have "YAMATO DAMASHII" (Japanese national spirit) ("That's right, we are Japanese", many said from the audience) We have no citizenship. From now on I am 100% Japanese. If the FBI or Army will take me into custody, I'll remain Japanese. Don't get scared. Look those Japanese in Japan who are making greatest sacrifice. Let's follow suit." (This same speaker spoke along the same line at [illegible] Manzanar Citizens

Federation and seems to have mahy [many] followers).

Bill Kito, Block leader #3 spoke on "Ameridan [American] Democracy and Duty of Nisei": "Democracy is not functioning in this country. Nisei must work with Issei. Don't attack Issie [Issei], anyone who denounces Issei should be punished.

Karl Yoneda; Block leader #4, Kibei, spoke on "Prepare for Post War" - (Many booed and heckled, some applauded - Kurihara shouted, "sit down, shut up, you so and so", someone said "you die"! "Don't worry Japan will come over here") "I believe that majority of Nisei will stay in this county when this war is over and we should prepare right now to meet the post war situation. Let's not be discouraged because we are put in camps and we are unable to use our full citizen rights. Demand our rights as Americans. Look at the Negroes, most exploited people in America. They are lynched and discriminated against without any reason - but they are determined to fight for citizens rights and democracy we should encourage ourselves and use our citizenship rights" (many heckled all thru the speech, shouting "traitor", etc.)

James Oda, Kibei: "Proujd [Proud] to be an American of Japanese origin. We should unit [unite] together and show American people that we are just as good Americans as they". (many heckled.)

Tateishi, Kibei, Block Leader #23. "I have "Yamato Damashii" (Japanese national spirit) I want the following to be taken up at tonight's meeting: 1) Investigate who pocketed $14,000 of canteen profit. 2) Reelect all Block leaders. 3) Who authorized Campbell to make contract to print "Free Press" and pay out $2000 of canteen money. 4) Block land 7 should not move out. This is richest country in the world, let's get lumber and get school built. They gave citizenship to myself and my sons - why don't they take it away. It is no good."

Chairman: Took vote on 4 points which overwhelmingly carried amidst noisy demonstrations and cry of "Heil Hitler".

Masaki Tanaka: Kibei spoke on "Suggestions to Nisei", "Some nisei circulated petitions to be drafted. Why should we approve such action. We kibei and issei are same. We are Japanese. American don't recognize us as Americans. Nisei are not Americans. Nisei should realize that they are Japanese and don't ask for citizen right. Keep quite and when we get out of camp, we will use our citizenship rights. We are educated in Japan and we don't want Americans to look upon us as loyal citizens of this vountry [country] Don't give up your citizenship, we will use it when war is over." (big applause with stamping feet.)

Kazuhara, Kibei. "We are Japanese, not nisei, issei or kibei. We are in pig sty because we are Japanese. Don't raise citizenship right. No one here use it anyway. Some one said we should be loyal to America ("Baka Dayo", damn fool, said Kurihara) shy [why] should we be loyal to USA because we are Japanese. We don't need Manzanar Citizen Federation.

Juichi Uyemoto: ("General Araki! General Araki! some said in audience - because of his long mustache) "I was born in Hawaii, been in Japan and Manchuria for 30 years. Came to USA one year ago. Surprised to see that Japanese here are not united spiritually, like in Japan. Trouble with Japanese here is that there are too many red among you (general applause - this is the man who said on way to Manzanar, aboard train March 23rd, that nisei ought to have guts and kill President. Karl Yoneda who

sat 3 rows behind Uyemoto reported this to the W.C.C.A. on March 24 and again to R. Nash and R.E. Fryer on July 11th and no action as yet has been taken)

(At this time Tokie Slocum left audience and several persons said "get out, you dog". Slocum is under police protection for the past three days, because Ken Tanaka, foreman of linoleum crew told K. Yoeda [Yoneda] and Slocum will get beaten some day not by San Pedro boys but by downtown kibei. Also on August 5th, while Slocum was sitting on steps of Block #4 office, linoleum crew truck driven by a San Pedro boy deliberately backed up truck against door, breaking it and drop lineoleum [linoleum] right near Slocum - breaking the floor)

Hirai, Kibei, formerly with Manzanar police force (dressed only in jeans, no shirt): "I want all kibei to withdraw from camouflage nets immediately. Also kibei should quit working on the "Free Press".

Mr. Temple and other office staff members arrived at this point and asked Ben Kishi chairman to adjourn meeting. Kishi said that "anything that happens at tonight's meeting he will be solely responsible for". Meeting was adjourned. After adjournment someone remarked - "Tayama is very small fry tonight and couldn't say a word". (referred to Fred Tayama) home in their car. As I approached the car 20 to 30 persons surrounded me as well as police car and Hirai (former policeman) pointed at me saying "He is a dog (meaning spy) beat him". The police finally persuaded them to disperse and they tooke [took] me home.

Majority of attendance were kibei with about 20 girls, 50 issei, altogether about 600. It was evident that this gathering was definitely pro-Axis and anti-American. A great many of them would have done bodily harm to pro-American elements such as Slocum, Oda, Tayama and Yoneda and others if it wasn't for the presence of the Internal Police. Also it is quite clear that many Issei and Kibei who attended this meeting disapproved of the conduct of the majority of kibei and issei there. Several have already told me so. However next morning in Block 4 several Issei were talking about withdrawing all kibei from camouflage nets.

Submitted by
Karl G. Yoneda