<Begin Segment 12>

RP: Another question about the railroad redress. Were you aware that other railroad workers had been fired from their jobs in Nevada and other parts of Utah when you were beginning to research some of the --

KY: No, I didn't. I didn't know, we didn't know that many Japanese that were working on the railroad at that time. There was a guy in Kelton who replaced Dad when we moved. And he was just mad that they came and got him. But that's about all Dad heard about... he was a single guy so he moved pretty easily and I don't know what happened to him. There was another family whose father (worked on) the Bamberger, the Moris. Mr. Mori was working on that Bamberger railroad but that was a private line. I don't know what happened to them whether he lost his job or what.

Off camera: Oh, I'm sure he lost his job that's why they moved down, you know, into the farming area, they were helping the farmers. They at least had a job, you know, the pay was poor but --

KY: I think it was pretty much similar but he was already living in a house off of the railroad property, him and his family. Dad, Mother knew them but didn't... weren't that close to 'em as friends.

RP: So just a closing question, when you look back on that experience, being removed from your home and being relocated a short distance away, your father loses his job, your brother loses a job, how do you reflect on that experience?

KY: I look back on it and I thought, gee, it was really upsetting but since I was told to go to school, keep my attendance up, I kind of missed out on the misery of it all. And you know, the deep snow, it wouldn't have been so bad if the weather was good. Gosh, I remember walking home from the bus up that road, of course they didn't have it cleaned that well. I wondered, I thought my god, this must have been heck to get the big truck up there and unload all that stuff. And I just couldn't figure out how they did all that in one day. I thought gee whiz, even the cows are there, the chickens were in the makeshift hen house. And they had to move some hay, feed the cows.

RP: Do you have any questions, Mark?

MH: I do. What was the distance from where you were living when you moved to the Johnson house? How far away did you... since you were living in your other house?

KY: Oh, the distance from one house to the other?

MH: Yes.

KY: Oh, I would say only about a mile or so, mile and a half. Yeah, maybe a mile and a half, two miles at most.

MH: And was there ever a reason given why you had to move from your original house to the Johnson house?

KY: Railroad property, get off of the railroad property, that's all they said. We have to be off the railroad property and not to set foot on railroad property.

RP: Kan, thank you so much for sharing your stories, very unique story with us. On behalf of myself and Mark and the National Park Service we're really honored to be able to document your story today.

KY: Okay. Thank you.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.