<Begin Segment 13>

KL: Are there, let's see, I wondered if you remembered, this is still in Puyallup, what your parents' response was to arriving in that setting, or just to daily life in there? Did they act any differently? Do you have any memories of how they responded?

IT: No, they, they must've kept a lot to themselves, and if they talked about it maybe between them, but not to the kids. And we were just kids playing all the time, so... but yeah, that's true, though, I don't remember school. We might've gotten, they might've gotten us together, but it's not anything fixed or planned. It's just, I can't remember school there.

KL: Do you remember you and your siblings or any other kids, what you thought about Puyallup, how you reacted? Did you think it was exciting or scary or...

IT: No, I just didn't understand. I didn't understand the situation, 'cause first of all, there were no tents and it was not a fun thing, I figured later. But I mean, when I was there... but I can't even remember asking my mother what, why we're there. I guess I didn't really, I mean, I just took life as it came.

KL: I moved before first grade and I didn't ask my parents why. [Both laugh]

IT: Yeah.

KL: You know, when you're a kid you just kind of...

IT: You just go along with 'em. And I felt comfortable with them, so somewhere in between there, I was scared they were gonna split us.

KL: Did your relationship with your father change as a result of his stroke?

IT: Not really. But we were kind of cruel sometimes and said, "Speak English!" and he'd struggle. But no, he picked up enough to communicate with us, so, although I know, I felt sorry for him because he had to cook when we got out. He had -- oh, I was telling you, in camp, in Minidoka, when he got there, he went in the hospital train and then they made it seem like everybody had to have a job, so because he couldn't do much they gave him a job of checking in tools, work tools, and passing, checking them out. I think that's what he did. And my mom, I think she was a barber. But she was, I think she was pretty good, so some of the guys said to her, "We'll pay you. Would you cut our hair for us?" So she did that, in our house I think, and somebody reported her and told her she can't do that. [Laughs] So then she just quit.

KL: Did she cut hair in Puyallup at all?

IT: You know, I don't think they worked. But it seems like we had to do something, I mean they, the adults. I really don't remember. 'Cause she wasn't -- well, I was going to say she wasn't at home all the time, but I don't remember too much of what happened in Puyallup.

<End Segment 13> - Copyright © 2014 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.