Densho Digital Archive - Irene Yamauchi Tatsuta Interview (denshovh-tirene-01-0029)

<Begin Segment 29>

KL: I was saying, you've already talked some about, you were saying you felt some empathy towards your students who had struggles, economic struggles or racial struggles, because of your experiences. But I just wondered if there were other sort of, you know, real significant moments in your teaching career, or things that you thought were important to record about your work as an adult, in this recording. And also if there's things you want to share about, about family or just other parts of your adult life that you wanted to be recorded.

IT: Well, we been... what was I gonna say? Okay, when I was teaching fourth grade, there was a little paragraph in the social studies book that said about the camps. So I told them a little bit more, about my experience, and I had this boy in my class who looked me up later. He said, "How could you stand there and smile and tell us about how you were treated?" And so I gave him the reason that I talked to you about that, because I'm speaking, or I feel an American, as an American first. And I don't feel like I'm holding any grudges. I think, well, I wouldn't have wanted camp to make me a better person, but that's what happened, I think. And I found some real close friends through it. But I think America has given me a lot of chances to move up, and I was just so happy when I felt like I got out of the rut that I was in, because when my mother was sick and then my dad couldn't work and I thought, and I need, for instance, a car. I couldn't save the money because, well, this was before I wanted a car to go to work, but anyway, I kept thinking, how can I save? Because then they get sick and then the money's spent. But with the help I got from scholarships, and I did have really understanding teachers. I got encouraged by them, too. I just, I just felt so American that I feel like I'm an American first. And I said, I say to my friends, and I don't think too many friends think this way, that went to camp, but I think of the camp incident as an American, thinking that was such a stupid move, that was inhumane, and I'm ashamed that America did that. But I don't feel any grudges. It's, to me it's kind of water under the bridge -- although it really wrecked our family, so to speak. But life goes on.

KL: What was your student's response?

IT: He just couldn't believe that I looked so happy up there telling them about the experience and teaching, and he remembered me for that more than anything. And when I was substituting a teacher, or he mentioned to the kindergarten teacher that his boy was in that, who was Japanese and she was younger, she's younger, he said, "Oh, I had a Japanese teacher that I really liked." And so that's how we met. She gave, she called me and you know. So they took me out to dinner, I met his wife, and he's Polish and Korean, and then he met this Japanese girl that he chased to Japan, married her. But the sad part is he had a heart attack and died a few years ago. But he said to me, "Oh my gosh, if I knew how happy I could've made you earlier and looked you up," because not too many kids, especially in the type of classes that I, type of kids that I teach, they don't look teachers up usually. And so when he took me out to dinner and we were talking, she says, he says, "I want you to meet my sister and I want her, you to tell her all this stuff." I mean, he was, and so finally I said to him, "You mean I didn't teach you anything about reading?" [Laughs] But those are the thrills.

And then I have another gal that I told you was a, she became a forest ranger, but I think she, I think that was a part-time job. I'm not sure if she's an architect now or... real smart. I have a few, and I can't remember all the kids I had, but I used to remember every single teacher I had. Now I don't know.

KL: I remember a lot of mine. Some of what you're saying about your, your sort of looking back at the camp experience as an American and taking thoughts, and reacting as an American, reminds me of what I've heard some people who were involved in the redress movement say, about the meaning, the reasoning and the meaning for pursuing that.

IT: Yeah.

KL: Do you remember the campaign for Japanese American redress and what, what were your thoughts? Were you involved, did you see any testimonies in the '80s?

IT: Yeah, and I can't remember where or how I saw them, but... maybe I heard somebody speak about it. And they, at first I didn't know how to take it because I thought, well, you can't bring it back. But whoever was speaking and was involved said, "That's the way to hit the people, is their pocketbook." So they should, we should ask for some, whatever you call it, money for being in the camps. I thought, gee, this comes so late. It's my parents that really suffered, but I just hope that it doesn't happen again. That, when I think about it, it just gets, I mean, as I get older I, there's more thought that goes into different thoughts, deeper thoughts, and I think gosh, what a big mistake. But I still don't hold any grudges. I mean, it's, to me it's, what can you do? There's some people bitter, but you're gonna be bitter all your life.