Densho Digital Archive - Aya Fujii - Taka Mizote Interview (denshovh-faya

<Begin Segment 16>

RP: So again fall is coming, it's getting cooler and so they moved you to this CCC camp at Adrian, and where was Adrian in respect to the tent camp?

AF: It was south of Nyssa about twelve miles.

RP: And can you describe the camp to us? Was it just long rows of barracks?

TM: There were barracks and the structure that we lived in housed... it had two stories so our family had the largest, I would say, apartment. And there were --

AF: And another family lived upstairs and then another family lived right, you went in the same door, the main door, and they had a private room. So it was three of us living in this big house or building.

RP: And the building had... was it equipped with bathroom facilities and kitchen?

AF: No, it was still outside.

RP: Was it a... sounds like it would be a significant improvement over the tent camp?

TM: Oh, yes, because at least we had more warmth.

AF: We still burned coal on the coal stove, they delivered the coal when you wanted it but they were in big chunks I remember and we had to break it apart to put it in the stove. I remember that. And to take a shower you had to walk a while to go to the shower.

RP: And was the whole tent camp removed to the Adrian camp?

TM: Yes, because I think they closed the tents.

RP: They just completely closed it down.

TM: Then they had a social, one barrack that was called a canteen and that's where they had the dances and the church services.

RP: So did the missionary, Azalea Peet, did she follow you over there?

TM: Yes.

RP: Did she continue to organize and make life a little more bearable for you?

AF: She had a, not a mobile home but what do you call it? You remember this kind of an old --

TM: Oh, Quonset.

AF: Quonset hut like type thing she lived in.

RP: And so who ran the CCC camp, was it the same people that ran the farm?

TM: Yes, I think so, yes, I think it was the farm security.

RP: And those were Caucasians I assume?

TM: Yes.

RP: And no evidence of any military police or security around the camp?

TM: No.

RP: How difficult was this part of your experience for your parents? Or was it?

TM: Well, I think it was... I think they were tolerating it. I mean, they weren't, I mean, it's just like this is what we have to do. I don't think they were... this is what's expected of us so that's, didn't want to make waves or anything. They're not that kind of people anyway.

RP: So during the wintertime there wasn't that much... was there still farm labor work to be done during the wintertime?

TM: Right.