Densho Digital Archive - John Nakada Interview (denshovh-njohn-01-0019)

<Begin Segment 19>

RP: So you went and attended Citrus High School?

JN: Yes, that's a small high school between Azusa and Glendora, California, and it doesn't exist anymore. They have a Glendora High School and a Azusa High School. And now it's part of the junior college.

RP: And is that where you got into the fights with other students?

JN: Yeah, that's where I got into fights. Before that I never got into fights. [Laughs] Amazing, huh?

RP: You told me that you had a little more confidence from knowing judo and did these people back off from you once you dealt with them a little bit or did they become --

JN: Yeah, one on one they backed off, yes, but when, you know, ten or fifteen people jump on you, you can't take care of that, only in the movies.

RP: Did experiences like that make you wonder about your ethnicity or did you always have a strong sense of pride in being Japanese American?

JN: I think that's what my parents instilled in us, that we should be proud of being Japanese American and proud of being Okinawan Japanese and they always instilled that in us. And they always said to be proud to be an American. Those are the three things that they really instilled in us which I think is pretty good.

RP: Was your family very much like other Japanese American families in terms of talking about your camp experiences? There wasn't much talk, was there?

JN: No, there really wasn't too much talk between families. Every once in a while they just kind of mention it but there wasn't any real big discussion. In fact I'm really probably the only one that really talked publicly about the camps and most of the people really didn't talk too much about it. They say it's an experience that you should forget about and so a lot of them didn't talk about it. That's why they're having this interview because a lot of people don't know and... especially the kids, lot of the kids don't know about it. And so it's an experience that they need to learn about.

RP: Why did you personally decide to begin talking about your experience?

JN: I think when I did the civil rights thing it gave me the incentive to educate people on my experience. And that was part of being prejudiced see. So I think a lot of people should know about it and so that's why it's... in fact, in Bend, when I was in Bend, I talked to the grammar schools and high school there on my own because the teachers knew about it so they said, "Why don't you come and talk to the class?" And so I even talked to them on this. Over here in Portland, they have the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center and so they're the ones that schedule things for me. But in Bend I just did everything on my own.

RP: And how did the students receive you?

JN: Very good, they all accepted me real well. And I noticed that every time I spoke to a group I always told 'em that I'm an American, I've been in the army and I'm proud to be an American and I've been to Japan and this is the still the best place to live. And I'm going to say some things that Americans did that were wrong, but just remember that I'm still loyal to America. So in my talk just remember that, you know, that's why I always mention that in the beginning of every talk I give. You just mention that, you know, there's no problem on that but just remember that, you know, I'm still an American and I'm going to be an American. [Laughs]