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

<Begin Segment 8>

RP: Let's shift over to a very defining moment in your lives as well as all Americans, that was December 7, 1941. Tell us what you remember about that day and how you heard the news of the tragic bombing of Pearl Harbor.

TM: Well, I remember my brother, George was in the... working outside and he came in and he told my folks the war broke out with Japan. And it was just a shock, I mean, we didn't know there was any problems with the two countries. I mean, we weren't aware I should say, so it was real shock.

AF: Yes, we had this old Philco radio in the house and like Taka said, that we were probably too young to know all the world events at the time but I'm sure that they were discussing things but we didn't quite understand it, you know?

RP: Tell me a little bit about how your life changed after that day, Pearl Harbor day, what did you become aware of? You mentioned that you became kind of aware, that you were different, you were Japanese ancestry, you felt, how did you feel?

TM: Well, kind of ashamed that my heritage, you know, that people would do such a thing to America, you know.

AF: We went to school and let's see, this happened in December, and I really wasn't aware of any prejudice, you know, the same friends, maybe there were like me, they weren't quite up on history and what was happening. The bus driver was, she was very, you know, she gave us a hug and like she understood what we were going through but we just thought it was nothing.

TM: Well, my friends all said, I mean, not thinking that I was Japanese, they says, those darn Japs, you know, I mean, and they... as I'm part of them. But of course I was taken aback but they didn't think that I was Japanese.

RP: So your fellow students as well as most of your Caucasian neighbors were very sympathetic?

TM: Right, exactly. I think it would have been different if there were more Japanese around.

RP: Outwardly you didn't pose a great threat to that community. Did you recall any evidences of any discriminatory signs or "no Japs wanted here" at a store or were you able to go to places that you normally had gone?

TM: Well, we were more cautious but nothing. I would say we were just more cautious.

AF: I think after we went to Eastern Oregon there was probably more prejudice there.

RP: Did you have any thoughts or ideas about... many, many kids express the uncertainty about the future or did you basically went along as you had in going on before? Any thought whatsoever that you, that this catastrophic event called removal, relocation, whatever would happen to you?

TM: We knew our lives were going to change but not, didn't know what direction.