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RP: This is an oral history for the Manzanar National Historic Site. And this afternoon we're talking with Kimiko Nakashima. And our interview is taking place at the Bruceville Terrace on Bruceville Road in Sacramento, California.
KN: Right now, uh-huh.
RP: And our interview date is April 3, 2011, our cameraman is Kirk Peterson, Richard Potashin is our interviewer. And our interview will be archived in the Park's library. Kimiko, do you, will you give us permission to go ahead and interview you?
KN: Sure, sure.
RP: Thank you very much.
KN: Not very interesting. [Laughs]
RP: We'll see what happens. First of all, can you share with me your birth date and where you were born?
KN: November 27, 1919. Born in Florin.
RP: And were you born at home?
KN: I guess so, midwife. Nobody here went to hospital in those days. Midwife came to your house.
RP: Uh-huh. And what was your given name at birth?
KN: Kimiko.
RP: Okay. And later on you took, you had another name. How did you get the name Lois?
KN: Oh, the grammar school teacher gave us. They couldn't pronounce Japanese names so most of the grammar school teacher gave us all these English names. We didn't pick it ourselves.
RP: And you got Lois. And who was it, who were you named for, did you know?
KN: There was a movie actress named Lois Wilson? Or somebody. She was a movie actress. I think I got the name after her.
RP: How about the rest of your siblings? Did they also get English names too?
KN: Yeah. My oldest was Norma. Her name was Hatsue and Norma. And my brother Roy was, his name was Masaji. He was the only boy in the family. And the next one Ella, was Fusai. And next was me, Lois Kimiko. And then after me is Hanako, Hannah. And then Harue, Violet. And Mildred, Nobuko.
RP: Mildred?
KN: Yeah. She was that. I don't know how she got that name Mildred but it was Mildred.
RP: How about Hanako? Did she have an English name too?
KN: Hannah.
RP: Hannah.
KN: It was Hannah. Hanako used to say Hannah. The shortcut was for Hanako is Hannah so it was always Hannah. But her name was Hanako.
RP: Did you say one of your siblings was named after a comic book character?
KN: I think my sister Ella was. There was a comic, Ella Cinders? I think there was... I think she was named after her. Or she adopted it.
RP: Ella Cinders?
KN: Yeah, Ella Cinders, there was a comic strip.
RP: Oh, a comic strip.
KN: I think my sister named herself after her. [Laughs]
RP: Oh gee.
KN: 'Cause in the old days Japanese never had an English name. They adopted it when they, if they didn't adopt it the grammar school teacher gave it to you 'cause they couldn't pronounce Japanese name anyways so.
RP: Right, right.
<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2011 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.