<Begin Segment 12>

RP: This is tape two of a continuing interview with Kimiko Nakashima. And also present with us for the interview is Kimiko's sons, Robert and Tom. Kimiko, we were talking about your removal from Florin. And can you, do you remember the day that you left Florin?

KN: No. It was after the evacuation order came. I think we were the only one... first one to leave. We left on a Wednesday and the rest of the Florin people left on a Friday I think. But we were the first to go think. I think it was on a Wednesday.

RP: Now some Florin people went to Manzanar.

KN: Yeah.

RP: Like, like your future husband.

KN: Yeah.

RP: And some Florin people went to Jerome.

KN: Not, not then.

RP: Right.

KN: When Fresno Assembly closed we went to Jerome.

RP: Right. Other, other...

KN: And there was some went to Tule Lake. And there was a temporary camp in Sacramento called Walerga. A lot of people went to Walerga and people that went to Walerga went to Tule Lake in the end.

RP: Right.

KN: And all of us at Fresno Assembly Center, we went to Jerome, Arkansas.

RP: Do you remember a woman by the name of Mary Tsukamoto?

KN: Oh yes, she's a family friend.

RP: Is she?

KN: Do you know her? Did you know her?

RP: No, I didn't know her. I know her daughter Muriel.

KN: Muriel.

RP: There was some folks in Florin who said that she was part of deciding who would go to what camp.

KN: That I don't know. I heard a lot of that rumor too but I worked for Mary, Mary Tsukamoto before the evacuation. Registered people and everything so I didn't have any plans like that. I worked for Mary a few days, about three or four days before we had to go into camp. 'Cause she couldn't handle everything herself. We have to register everybody so I helped to do all that.

RP: And so what did you do? Did you take information down?

KN: Yeah, take their information. How many in the family, and all that.

RP: So did you interview the family?

KN: Yeah.

RP: Oh.

KN: Not much to interview. All they had, just got their address and they're gonna go into camp like the rest of us so. And some of 'em left a lot of stuff at home. Lost their property.

RP: Do you remember the little tags that were issued that people put on their baggage and their...

KN: Yeah I think so. The little, like an index card I think we put it on to identify ourselves.

RP: The family, had the family number?

KN: Yeah, yeah.

RP: Do you remember your family number?

KN: No. I can't remember. I threw it away probably.

RP: Now did you volunteer to work for Mary or did she ask you to?

KN: She asked me. 'Cause they needed all the help and so I helped her. I registered everybody.

RP: And where did you do that? What...

KN: In the Florin Buddhist Church Hall.

RP: The hall was converted into a processing area.

KN: Yeah. Uh-huh, so everybody had to register to go so I register. I helped Mary register. And Mary had to explain to them what we were doing. So I let her do all the talking to the people and I just registered.

RP: So, your mom, your dad, you, who else went down to Fresno?

KN: My sisters.

RP: Hanako...

KN: Hanako, Harue, Tobuko.

RP: That was it.

KN: My oldest sister, Norma, was already married and she...

RP: Right.

KN: She wasn't living with us so just us, younger sister.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright &copy; 2011 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.