<Begin Segment 13>

RP: So, what about, did you visit the canteen or the store at Manzanar?

MW: The what?

RP: The, the store at Manzanar, they called it the canteen?

MW: Oh the canteen? You mean back then?

RP: Yeah. What about things like candy and gum and you know, what, what kids would like.

MW: Oh my gosh, whenever we had candy we would hoard that thing. And we would, we, in our, our room, you know my mom put these drapes. And so we'd all hide it. My sisters and I we'd have three boxes and, and we'd... oh, you couldn't get gum or candy. It was really a luxury.

RP: You couldn't get it at the, at the store in the camp?

MW: Well, whenever it came it was gone. You know, because in wartime the gum was very scarce and candy too. So we said, "First thing when we get outta camp we're gonna have real butter and chocolate candy." Yeah. And that butter back then, you had to mix it. You put this little capsule in it and make it yellow. Yeah. [Laughs] Yeah, the food, the food needless to say was not good. But I have to give those people a lot of credit because they did try and it got better as time went on. Uh-huh. Yeah. And then, cooking for a group like that is very different than cooking just for a little party or something. But I still, no matter how bad it was I have to give everybody at Manzanar a lot of credit. I mean I was young but, wow, they all got together and, and put their talents together for the benefit of the community. And so I thought that that was very nice. And then of course they had the local paper too. And gee, it was very intelligently written now that, when I get older and I'm able to read that. So... uh-huh. But being in camp was really an experience because it wasn't being in camp per se as after I got out and then I realized now of course about the studying in school about the Constitution and the process... that we were not given our due process. So it educates me today that I did, I learned a lot. And unfortunately I had to experience this. But I will always speak out for what I feel is right no matter if it hurts me. Sometimes it isn't very good but I think that you should.

RP: And that feeling that you just expressed comes from your having experienced the injustice of camp? Is that where that's coming from?

MW: Right, and especially... you know, the slavery, I can't imagine how the lynchings and how awful that must have been and, and today, and about the homosexuality and how they're discriminated against and all the discrimination that's going on. I mean, if you're different, it's really tough no matter what. We've can talk about, oh yeah, this is America. And it is. It's a wonderful place, but there still is discrimination, a lot of it, you know. And I remember this probation officer or somebody wanted this group of at-risk children to go visit these Japanese churches because, or bring them in or be like big brothers to them. 'Cause he had... and show 'em how we lived and how we treated each other. And I thought that was a wonderful idea but the members, the Japanese people turned it down. You know, they're so, they're... the Japanese people are wonderful people but they're so, they're clannish. And I can see if you understand their background that this is traditional. You know, but I think we have to let a lot of that go because we're in America now and it's a melting pot.

RP: That was, that's interesting because you know, the argument that was used about going, you know one of the reasons why people, Japanese people were sort of ostracized in this country was that they didn't assimilate. They stuck, like you said, clannish in their own little communities.

MW: Yeah.

RP: But that, that was still an issue even long after the war.

MW: Right. Well, in my these, when I did a lot of research, in the 2000 census, there were more Japanese/nonJapanese marriages than Japanese/Japanese marriages. So, DeWitt said, "A Jap is a Jap and they will never assimilate." Well, he's totally wrong. 'Cause if anybody, we've assimilated. I mean a perfect example is my, just had a grandson. And he has twelve cousins. And he's the only pure Asian, that baby. The rest of the twelve are all hapas. Hapa is a Hawaiian word meaning mixed race. So that's interesting. And, I hope that'll continue to be like that.

RP: And what was it like to embark on a thesis project and write about your experiences?

MW: Oh, it was wonderful. I mean, see, I was sixty-two when I retired and here I go to... I'm going to college for my masters. And I said, "Ah." I said, "I've experienced life." I said, "It'll be easy." Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I've never encountered anything so tough. And those young kids are really smart. They know a lot. They're very, very sharp. So I really learned a lot from them, from them. And then writing this thesis was, it was very cathartic. Because I wrote about Manzanar and when I had to watch things like the 442nd and the saddest one was when the Japanese soldier, he receives the, what is that? The medal?

RP: Medal of Honor?

MW: Yeah. When he jumped on the grenade.

RP: Oh, Sadao Munemori?

MW: You're right. And his parents were in Manzanar, you know, they're in camp. And they're giving, on the video, they're giving him the, the parents the award and here the parents are locked up and he's fighting for America. And it's, so it really gave me food for thought. When I did all the research and, and I'm indebted to the non-Japanese also that are very knowledgeable about this and they write about it. There's tons of books out there. I went to all the different libraries. I didn't get my information off the internet.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright &copy; 2011 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.