<Begin Segment 14>

RP: We were talking, going back a little ways, to, to camp. You said that you, you were attending Maryknoll school.

MW: Yeah, that's what I'm trying to think right now again. Right.

RP: And then you, and then when you were in camp you suddenly became Protestant or you attended Protestant...

MW: Oh yes, right. I did.

RP: And, so did you attend church regularly? Was that a...

MW: On a Sunday.

RP: ...important part of your experiences at camp?

MW: Right. I mean but every Sunday it's just taken for granted so we went, we went to, to church. And it was, it was a typical Christian, Protestant service. We would sing the songs and things like that. And I enjoyed it. It was another activity. It was another activity to do.

RP: And you met, did you meet people there too, other kids that you became friends with?

MW: Right, the kids, all the kids.

RP: Kind of a social...

MW: Yes.

RP: A social connection.

MW: "Cause at my age it was basically social. A lot of it was social. But, the only thing... I don't know whether they had alcohol in camp or not, right. I really don't know. But I was just wondering that man that always used to denigrate my sister, I don't know whether he was on alcohol or what his situation was.

RP: Was he an older man?

MW: Right, well, at that time I'd say he's fifty or something. And he, and his wife -- no children -- and his wife was always screaming at him. I remember that. But I took my kids... can I jump ahead to taking my kids? Yeah, before I die I wanted to make sure that my children went there, went to camp. So they would know my history. So I took, I took them there. And I think they were all... when you saw the film, I think that was an excellent film. Whoever, you know the film that they show you at first at the educational center?

RP: Uh-huh.

MW: You really don't understand the depth of the camp. You just hear of it. Until you really go there and you actually see it. So I think that's wonderful that the government... is that part of the... I remember when the director of, is it, not parks and recreation. But what does Manzanar come under? The umbrella?

RP: The National Park Service.

MW: National Parks, yeah. That fellow when it became... he was an African American fellow and he spoke at the pilgrimage.

RP: Oh yes, he was the director of the National Park Service.

MW: Right.

RP: Robert B. Stanton.

MW: Stanton?

RP: Stanton, yes. Oh, so you went to that pilgrimage?

MW: Right. I try to go to as many... uh-huh. Yeah. And, I'm just wondering, I don't know, but if he was sympathetic to getting it...

RP: He helped.

MW: He helped, yes, uh-huh.

RP: He helped. A lot of people helped.

MW: Yes. Yes, uh-huh. Everybody... but the unfortunate thing is there's still a lot of people like in Bishop when they wanted to make it a historical site were opposed to it.

RP: There were people, yes. So what was your, your children's reaction when you took them to Manzanar? Were they, were they interested or not?

MW: Very, very much so, yes. In fact my granddaughter, she's only seven, she wanted her picture taken exactly on the block that I was in, right there. [Laughs] And my sons and my other older grandchildren, they were touched. But, 'cause this is, I told 'em, this is their history. It's my history. And at one time I thought, well, when I was younger I said, "Well, why do I, why would I rehash all this? Why would I want to do that?" But then as I got older and now I see all these people that were trying to, like just the other day I read where Fred... I forgot his name, but he was instrumental and he was, they gave him the civil rights awards. And how hard it was for him. He was born an American but they wouldn't, couldn't go into the service. He couldn't... and he refused to go to camp and so there was a lot of litigation and it finally came to fruition and they found for him. Yeah.

RP: Fred Korematsu?

MW: Korematsu, yes. So I thought that was wonderful. And I think he was still living when there, awards so that's nice. And I see where his children are continuing so that's nice.

RP: Right, right, yeah.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright &copy; 2011 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.