<Begin Segment 10>

KL: We're continuing an interview on November the 20th, 2014, with Michiko Hada.

MW: Wada.

KL: Oh, Wada. Oh, thank you for correcting me, I had that wrong.

MW: I thought it sounded different.

KL: So we're gonna... this is tape two, and you also, I think, one of the things that followed quickly after the Manzanar riot was this registration form, a questionnaire, selective service for men and leave clearance for women.

MW: You know, I don't remember too much about that but I remember only doing as my brother said. I'm sure he asked my parents or whatever. And that's the only thing that I remember (...) about the questionnaire, or you were too young. There was something involved in it that I don't remember signing, or filling out forms of any sort.

KL: But you talked with your family about it?

MW: I think we did, but I don't quite remember too much about that.

KL: Do you recall what your brother's guidance was?

MW: My what?

KL: You said your brother kind of guided you in your answers?

MW: Well, because he was guided by my parents, too. They talked over it I think to see... that's the same thing that happened in Tule. And my brother was sent to, I forgot, Bismarck, whatever it was, place like that. And then when he was there, I found out later that he talked all the young guys into, "You can't go back, you got to stay here, you guys are citizens here." And all of you, all of us, will have to change our mind. And I remember him telling me later that he had to persuade (them) to stay. You had nothing over there, you really didn't have anything. Your ancestors or your parents, but you don't have them with you, they're not going to know. We don't know the country. I've been there for a visit, but I've never lived there (...).

KL: What were his thoughts in Manzanar about the questionnaire or returning to, or going to Japan?

MW: Well, for me, they didn't ask me too much, but I wouldn't have wanted to. And then with him, you know, the thing is, you get caught up with everybody talking about it. You get caught up, just like nowadays, you just get caught up in everything. And then once you're able to think straight, then it's not what you thought. And that's exactly, I know that's what he told me, I said, "I don't understand all of this going back and forth. Why were there so many other young people?" And he said, "Well, when you stop and think about it very close, and not all this thing is going on, then," he said, "you'll think more clearly." And he said that's when he told them they cannot go back, they have to stay here. They don't know anything about that country except in books, what we learned in books or what we were told. And so I know that he persuaded lots and lots of, like the Tanaka boys and all that, that I knew real well, they were all with him, but he tried to persuade as many young people as he could that that wasn't what it was, that's not what you think it's going to be.

Because I had a girlfriend that did go to Japan, and she said it was just terrible. The food wasn't enough at that time, and so you start to lack certain things in your body. And she said it was just terrible because there wasn't enough different foods to eat, to even buy, there were just none. And so she said it was terrible. It's a mistake for anybody to try to go to another country, even if it is their parents' country. The parents were there, but you've never been there, you don't know, you really don't understand it, truly. But I know what they were thinking as far as... and that was a terrible thing, I think, to put us in when the people that was, most of the people didn't do anything to deserve that, you know. And that was four years out of our lives, especially when you're a teenager, that's pretty hard. But you survived, because your parents are telling you you can do it, you can, and you have to. And they try to take... that's the thing that, to me, I always thought that my parents were sure wise to be able to tell us things, that they thought that was the proper thing. It may not be, but they thought that it would be... of course, all parents do tell you what they think is the best way or the proper way.

KL: Did your brother have a job in Manzanar?

MW: Yes. He used to... all I can remember is him driving trucks from the warehouse and taking food and different things to different blocks, to the mess halls, and that's when he used to tell me So and so with so and so block has a real good cook, so that's why he knew. But he would take food -- so we had nothing, otherwise you had no snacks to eat on, because there's nothing to buy. And so he would bring us something, a little box of I don't know whatever. And so that's how we got some treats.

KL: Do you remember any of his friends in Manzanar, or if there was a group he was part of or anything?

MW: No, I don't remember all he hung out with. You know, another thing, too, as the war, I guess, got toward the end, and then we were giving... I've got to tell you one thing. That we were given peacoats, which the men know all about, it's a real warm coat. But they were so big, they would hang on us, because we were kids. Well, not that young, but we were still kids at that time. But then when you get in a place like that where there's that many people, there's always, I remember I told you seamstress, and my mother was a good seamstress, and they would order things, they used to call it "Monkey Ward," Montgomery Ward. And then Sears would send (...) the catalog, and women would (...) order threads and things like that. And they would take these jackets all apart and cut it to your size and put it back together again. It was really something. They took the red lining, whatever, that were left, put it on the collar so it'll make it more feminine. But it was a warm jacket, and I knew men were giving that peacoat, they call it that. And it is warm but it's heavy, but Manzanar was cold during the winter.

That was another thing, I don't know how we survived those cold and hot... and when it was hot, it was hot. It was a desert, so it was really hot. But it's amazing that there is, how they can put things together, fix things up with what they have. And everybody gets together and share whatever it is they have, or whatever they could order. There was a fellow that I worked with that lived in Independence, his father would deliver things. That's what he told me he remembered, he was about seven or eight. His father would deliver things and he'd get to ride and go with him. And he said that the ladies would say, "Please buy some baby shoes," and things like that. And so the next time he came in, he would have those shoes, and he would take it to... I don't know what he delivered, but he was able to come into the camp. And because he lived in Independence -- not as he got older, of course -- but his family's gone now, but he was five generations, he said, (in Independence).

KL: What was your friend's name?

MW: Dick Carasco. That's the fellow that lived over there, and he was my boss (when I worked for an architecture firm).

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