<Begin Segment 6>

KL: So you married in the United States, back in Los Angeles.

MN: Yeah.

KL: Was it difficult to prove your U.S. citizenship? How did you do that?

MN: Well, I had a birth certificate and everything, but still they put us -- three girls came together, all eighteen years old and they're all in the same situation, born here and educated in Japan, and we came on the same boat to Seattle. And we had to stay three days and two nights in immigration, just like a jail, one room and iron, had iron bar and the door had a lock from outside. So we can go, bathroom was right next to the room so it's okay, but we just stayed in, three days, just stayed there. And meal time a guy, Filipino man comes and opened the door and we, three times a day we went out to eat. Not outside, but we went to a mess hall and had a meal, then after the meal we came back. Just like was in jail. immigration office, I guess.

KL: And that was in Seattle?

MN: Yes, it was in Seattle.

KL: How did that feel?

MN: Well, three of us got along so good that we had a good time and we didn't mind so much. Iron bar and little room and everything, but we didn't mind. The Filipino people, I guess, cooked the, at first the food was kind of strange because not like what we'd been eating in Japan.

KL: Yeah, you'd have to adjust again to different food. How did you finally demonstrate your citizenship? Why were you --

MN: They, I had the paper and everything, so they kind of went through and so it was okay. Mostly they checked our, besides the paper, eyes. I don't know how to say in English, but Japanese word's torahon. It's some kind of sickness of the eye that's very contagious, so some people sent back to Japan because of eyes.

KL: Did they, were there any other examinations? Did they check --

MN: Pardon me?

KL: Did they check anything else? Were there any other tests or examinations for health or anything else?

MN: No. No, they just told me that I was to prove I was born in America and we didn't have a bad sickness, didn't bring any bad sickness.

KL: Did all three of you leave at the same time?

MN: Yes, right at the same time. Same time. So one girl, we were all the same age, but one girl stayed in Seattle because she had a brother there. Another girl came down to Los Angeles like me, so we were good friends.

KL: Okay. So you came right away to Los Angeles, as soon as you got out.

MN: Yes, uh-huh.

KL: What was her name, the girl who stayed your friend?

MN: One, I mean, two girls came together? One is Shizue, Shizue Tanaka. One is... gosh, I forgot her name. Kiyo? I think Kiyoko something.

KL: Did you travel to Los Angeles together?

MN: No, one stayed in Seattle, another one, no, we didn't come together, because...

KL: So what year was this that you came back? What year did you come back to the United States?

MN: 1935.

KL: And then after you got out you came to Los Angeles. What happened next?

MN: Then we got married.

KL: Was that in 1935 you were married?

MN: Yes.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2014 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.