<Begin Segment 8>

KL: Let's move into, then, the World War II years. You've mentioned that you have a recollection of learning that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor. How and when did you find out about that?

KP: I was in fourth grade, and the teachers came and told us. We were just completely horrified as young children that this could actually happen, so many people dying, it just was unbelievable, totally unbelievable. But I never thought about the Japanese people being herded into camps because of that. I never thought of that until it actually happened here. And we were kind of stunned that we were going to have a camp close by.

KL: Had you been around Japanese American people ever?

KP: No, hardly at all, no. No blacks ever came to the valley either, African Americans we call them now. But there were very few. They would come as nurses or something like that every once in a while, but they never stayed, because there just weren't the jobs and they weren't accepted, probably. They didn't feel comfortable here. There were very few Orientals. There were some, like I've said, Bessie Kong Pedneau was an exception. (...)

KL: Did you know her as a child?

KP: Oh, yes, she was a secretary at the school for many, many years, a great lady. She's Chinese. I'm getting mixed up here. (His son Francis is one of my best friends still).

KL: No, you're right.

KP: She's Chinese. But anyway, they lived in, kind of raised their kids in Keeler, (as I said, 15 miles south of Lone Pine). She was a great lady, we all loved her and her family very much.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2013 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.