<Begin Segment 10>

KL: We are back in an interview with Miyo Uzaki. This is September 11, 2014, and I was gonna ask you at the end of the last tape, what your memories are of learning that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor and then that the United States had declared war?

MU: I couldn't believe that the small country would attack United States. It was a shock. Because our parents came from Japan and they planned to stay here forever, but not allowed to become citizens, and so they were like people without a country.

KL: Did they ever talk to you about what that was like? Did they want to become citizens, or tell you anything about that?

MU: Well, there was a racial prejudice ever since the Orientals started coming to the States, and... no, they didn't say much. But I'm sure all of them felt that restricted, not free as a citizen.

KL: You said they didn't say much, but do you, were there any ways that you ever witnessed that that affected their just daily life?

MU: Did I what?

KL: Did you ever witness ways that that racism affected your parents' daily lives? I feel stupid asking that because of course you had to buy the property.

MU: Yeah, I think they felt limited. Of course, with the language barrier, they couldn't do too much, like the other people that spoke, had the language. So they depended on kids, so they wanted the kids to do well in school.

KL: You said you were surprised that Japan had attacked this big country. Had, did you have any idea that the countries were on this collision course? Did you, were you worried about a war at all?

MU: Well, hearing news on the radio, and we didn't talk about too much in school. But then the question was, how can a small country attack United States? And of course, our parents were not allowed to become citizens yet, and they're away from their country, native country, and so they were kind of trapped. And then with our parents feeling that way, it was hard on those of us that understood a little bit of the situation.

KL: Did you have fears for your parents or for your family right away, when you heard that?

MU: I don't think we had fear, but we had question as to what might happen or what's going to happen.

KL: Did you talk to other Japanese Americans at that time, and did they also have concerns?

MU: I think they all felt that way.

KL: Did people get together, like that evening or in the days afterwards, to...

MU: I don't know that we did that, or they did that.

KL: There were a lot of arrests of people by the FBI right after news of that attack.

MU: Yeah, innocent people. There might have been some connection with organizations that had contact with Japan, but then most of the first generation people, if they had children they would stick with the children's nation, country. So it was hard for them.

KL: Did that happen in your community? Were there people who were taken right away?

MU: I think there were two leaders that were questioned, but they were not incarcerated.

KL: Who were they? What, why were they questioned?

MU: They were just leaders within our small community.

KL: I wondered about your mom, because some of the people who were questioned or detained were connected to Japanese language schools. Did she, no one questioned her, or did she have any fears?

MU: No, she didn't have any problem.

KL: Do you know what happened to your teacher from Fresno?

MU: I think nothing happened. We all went into same assembly center at the fairground, and then we were shipped to Arkansas. I don't think there were any special problems.

KL: The two community leaders --

MU: Huh?

KL: The two community leaders that were questioned, were they, who were they? Were they ministers or were they store owners?

MU: No, no, they were just regular community leaders.

KL: What made them leaders?

MU: I guess there was no one else who'd do it.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2014 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.