<Begin Segment 23>

KL: So you... oh. Did you ever go to any of the camps, the WRA camps like Manzanar?

MS: Uh-uh, I didn't visit any, no.

KL: But you were communicating with your friend in Manzanar?

MS: Yes, uh-huh.

KL: What were your impressions of Manzanar based on what you heard from other people, or what did you hear from your friend?

MS: All the kids weren't suffering. I think the adults were the ones who suffered in the inconvenience or suddenly become part of a huge community where they had to share restrooms and... not cafeteria, but dining, mess hall as it's called in the army. But the kids, I think, adjusted because they usually associated or spent time with other kids, their friends. That's the impression I got of camp. I'm pretty sure... I'm probably quite certain that I would have done the same thing. However, that tended to break up the family, and I think that bothered a lot of parents.

KL: Did he have any particular pursuits or teachers or crushes or people that he, people or places that he mentioned that were important to him in Manzanar?

MS: That he didn't mention, yeah. All I know is that he wasn't really complaining about life in the camp. Of course, he was enjoying continuing his gymnastics, and I have a picture of him doing a very difficult giant with the rings. And apparently they had a very good social activity going there too, because they learned all the latest dances and everything else like that.

KL: Yeah, it sounds like it. I've seen pictures of gymnastics equipment and people, it sounds like it was a very social place for the teenagers in particular.

MS: Uh-huh, yeah.

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 2013 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.