<Begin Segment 20>

RP: So how... when you reflect on your experience, how would you like to see the story told by future generations? The story of what you went through?

DT: Well, we shouldn't have gone to camp really because we didn't have due process. But some of the people I talk to said that we should have protested. I says just no way. We didn't have anyone fighting for us, even Mary helped us to go in peacefully and even she didn't protest. Just the other day I had an argument with a guy and I said, "You weren't there at the time." He says, "Well, I would have protested." I said, "Your mother didn't," his mother and father went to the camp, and I said, "How come you didn't complain?" He says, "I was too young." Well, I said, "Times were different so we did what we knew best." So I don't know, it worked both ways. There were things that came out but it shouldn't have happened but I'm not going to sit here and say well, I resent it, you know. Just like my mother-in-law, she lost her land and it was eighty percent paid but she never complained. She was a good Christian. And if you complain and be bitter you're just going to make yourself sick. But I think it shouldn't have happened but it happened. And I think we all learned from it, I hope everybody learned from it.

RP: Are you still active in the Japanese American community in Florin?

DT: I'm not.

RP: How about the Methodist church? Do we still have a Methodist church?

DT: Well, I go to church but I'm not a... I'm a follower, I'm not a leader. But our Florin JACL is the one that one guy wasn't supposed to... was supposed to go to camp or something and he protested, they made a hero out of him. Well all these 442nd people died and they all went to, served in the army when their parents were in the camp but this man refused to go into the camp and he, I think they pardoned him or something, he went into jail. And I can't remember it was just recently that they made him a hero and I said, "Well, he shouldn't be a hero," but they say, "Well, he did the right thing." But I said, "Well, if we all fought like he did we would've been shot," like my husband says, we might have been shot or we might have been all sent to Japan. And Japan didn't want us because they didn't have enough food and everything and we wouldn't want to go to Japan. But if you protested well, they might have sent us all to Japan. So I don't know, it's just one of those things that happened and we should just forget about it and just go on.

RP: Last question, if you were going to share any lessons that you learned from your experience during the war in the camps to young people or future generations, what would that lesson or advice be?

DT: Well, let's see... I would just say, let's learn from what happened and now I don't think it'll happen like it did, things have changed, I would say. But like the Iran's or people, they are being discriminated, but that's what happens you know, they take the whole group for few of the people and so I don't know. I know the JACL is fighting for them. See, I'm not active in the JACL so I don't know what to say.

RP: Speaking of the Muslims?

DT: Yes, I know it's wrong, but I'm not a lawyer and I'm not going to go up there and fight, speak up. I'm not going to go out there and walk and carry a plaque or anything. I'm just not that type of person.

RP: I lied; I have one more question. What would your feelings about the letter of apology and the reparations payment that was given to all surviving members of the camp experience?

DT: Well, I thought that was pretty nice that they did apologize 'cause they didn't have to. And the $20,000 wasn't much but it's the thought that they, so I thought that was pretty nice of the government to do that. To admit that they were wrong 'cause they didn't have to. I don't think any other country would do something like that, only this country would do it. That's how I feel.

RP: Do you have any questions? Doris, did we cover everything? Is there any other stories that you feel that are important to share before we conclude our interview?

DT: No, I don't think so.

RP: Alright, well, on behalf of Joanna, Mark, myself and the National Park Service, thank you so much for a great interview.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright &copy; 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.