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KL: This is Irene Tatsuta, tape number three, we're continuing an interview on October 13, 2014. And you had mentioned that you have memories, I think, of the, there was a leave clearance or a selective service form, sometimes it gets called the loyalty questionnaire in people's discussions of it in 1943, that was issued throughout the camps. Do you recall anything about that questionnaire?

IT: I just remember that there was a lot of discussion going on among the adults. And I wasn't quite sure what it was all about until I read about it as an adult. But what an unfair question it was, you know? And some people got sent back to Japan because they answered that they weren't going to -- you're supposed to denounce the government, Japanese government and take up the American government, but after they're treating us, by putting us in prison, what do you expect people to do? And so they call it no-no or something, and I really didn't quite understand it. 'Cause my mom was so upset. And so, and I remember she discussed that, I guess, with my dad and maybe with the neighbors, I don't know. But she thought something was really, and she just didn't trust the government. Because every turn, something, they did something to her or something. She really thought that Japan won the war at the end, because she thought the government was giving us lies. And she wanted to take us back to Japan, thinking we'd be treated fairly. Of course, the kids were all American. "We're not gonna go back to Japan," or to Japan. Of course, she didn't have the finances to take us, so we never went. I don't know, if she did, I don't know if we had to go because we were under their care, we were still juveniles. But we said, "No way."

KL: I wonder if she regretted ever, like in 1945, when you were still in Minidoka, if she regretted not having answered no-no.

IT: No, I don't know how she answered, but I remembered she thought what a stupid... whoever wrote it up didn't make sense. But I know there was a big discussion. That's all I know about that.

KL: People came in, I think about two thousand people came into Minidoka from Tule Lake, after that questionnaire shook out.

IT: Is that right?

KL: Do you remember a bunch of people coming in?

IT: I don't remember. No.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2014 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.