Densho Digital Archive - Hope Omachi Kawashima Interview (denshovh-khope-01-0019)

<Begin Segment 19>

KL: And you said you went from Twin Falls to Topaz.

HK: We went to Topaz, Utah.

KL: Do you know why Topaz?

HK: Well, because since we were all American citizens, we couldn't go back to Tule Lake because Tule Lake was mainly for those that wanted to go back to Japan. So those that wanted to stay in this country, they said it was better to go to Topaz.

KL: There was no consideration of, like, Manzanar or Rohwer or Heart Mountain? Do you know why Topaz?

HK: I don't know that reason. Maybe there was, maybe the population was less there. Or was closest, probably closest from Twin Falls, Idaho.

KL: What do you recall about your parents or your grandmother's demeanor about going to Topaz?

HK: Well, we didn't want to go back into camp, I don't think. And then I think that time too, I think... well, now when I recall, I don't think my grandmother went with us to Twin Falls. She went to the camp, I think, where the Takegishis were, so she went to -- and I'm not sure which camp they went to.

KL: Are you sure they were in a camp, or could they have relocated east?

HK: No, they didn't relocate.

KL: They were in a camp.

HK: They were in (a) camp.

KL: I'll have to look them up. I'll look them up when we get back.

HK: I have to look that up. But, 'cause she didn't go with us to Twin Falls, that I recall, or to Topaz. Or maybe she did go to Twin Falls and then Topaz, she didn't go with us to Topaz. I think that might've been it.

KL: Well, how did you get to Topaz?

HK: In a truck. I don't know if the government lent us a truck or my father had to rent at truck or what. 'Cause we had that piano, we had to move the piano.

KL: I was going to ask, yeah, so the piano came with you to Twin Falls?

HK: Yeah, the piano came with us everywhere we moved. So as I said, my father knew how to drive trucks, so usually he would rent a truck to be sure to get the piano on it and all of us and all our belongings.