Densho Digital Archive
Manzanar National Historic Site Collection
Title: Shirley Nagatomi Okabe Interview
Narrator: Shirley Nagatomi Okabe
Interviewer: Alisa Lynch
Location: San Jose, California
Date: January 30, 2013
Densho ID: denshovh-oshirley-01-0022

<Begin Segment 22>

AL: And I understand you acquired a husband during a lunch?

SO: Yes, yes.

AL: Maybe not quite that quick.

SO: No. After five years, make sure, you know, it was gonna work out. And we've been married, it'll be fifty-three years this year. So I think it's gonna work out.

AL: I hope so. [Laughs] Kristen, are there things that you want to ask, or Mas, things that she should talk about, or other things that you want to add?

SO: I think you covered everything. But I wish I had studied a little more.

AL: And I wish I had a more formal list. We usually have a list that kind of goes chapter by chapter through your life, but I was just so curious about so many things.

SO: So you could put it in order when you write it up, right?

AL: It can be edited. Well, we're really eager to have you visit Manzanar sometime.

SO: I promise we'll be there this year sometime.

AL: And we thank you for allowing us to scan the albums.

SO: You're welcome.

KL: I do have something.

AL: Okay, good.

KL: Did your dad and Mr. Kado or anyone in your family continue to have a relationship?

SO: No, no. They were from a, at the Maryknoll church, so I think once the monument was built, I don't think they continued their friendship.

KL: Did he say anything about what it was like to work with Ryozo Kado?

SO: No, no, other than we got the blueprint from him. But I think he was a perfectionist.

KL: Kado?

SO: Uh-huh.

AL: There was just somebody in this week talking about helping to build the sentry post and how particular Mr. Kado was.

SO: Uh-huh, I don't know why, but I heard that. Somebody told me that.

AL: He was a good teacher. What did your mother do from the, between the time that she lost your father until the end of her own life? I mean, what...

SO: Oh, she went to do some, she did housework for the doctor who cared for my father through his illness. I think they hired her just to really be helping, I don't think they really needed a housekeeper. But Dr. McCoy was nice enough to hire her, so this helped supplement the social security. And then she used to babysit my sister's boy.

AL: Did they become citizens?

SO: No, they never did.

AL: Do you know why?

SO: No.

AL: Did your brother become a citizen? I guess he would need... yeah, would not be a citizen because of...

SO: Uh-huh.

AL: Did he do that in their lifetime?

SO: I'm not sure. I'm not sure when he got his citizenship.

KL: Did he talk with you about meeting Joan Busbee?

SO: Just slightly.

KL: What did she say?

SO: No, she said, "You won't believe it, somebody knows Manzanar." [Laughs] And then I really got to know Joan at my sister's memorial. Before that I had never met Joan. And then, so when we met, then she brought the book for me, and that's when I really got to know that the two of them had such a close relationship and the common bonds they had of Manzanar.

AL: That's kind of a strange coincidence, kind of like our visit with you, where what are the chances?

SO: Right. Because I read where Joan's parents were the ones that found the fisherman up in the mountains, and they went down to call and let someone know that he was up there. And then my father had a funeral for him in Manzanar.

AL: We always think of that the cemetery is just the space around the monument, but one of our coworkers, Richard, who you talked to, when he would do programs out there, he would say, "You know, actually, this cemetery expands to the top of that mountain," because Mr. Matsumura is up there.

SO: Right, right. But when the fishermen used to go up there, they would bring some down for us, they would share it. It was the best trout I... I still remember that.

AL: There are a few restaurants there that serve good trout.

SO: Oh, really?

AL: We'll have to make sure we get you to one. So to both of you on behalf of the National Park Service and Manzanar, and Kristen and I personally just want to thank you for your time and all of the information, and just being so open with your hearts and your stories, and just really grateful to finally meet you.

SO: Thank you for your interest.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2013 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.