<Begin Segment 9>

KL: We're back in tape number two, continuing an interview with Maria Sato on July the 11, 2012. And we had left off talking some about Crystal City, and I had a couple other questions about your time in Crystal City. I wondered what a typical day was like in Crystal City. What were your activities in a normal day?

MS: Go swimming. Go to school first and then swimming, and I guess that's all. Not really things to do because you got homework and all of that.

KL: Was there school every day or were weekends different?

MS: I think it was every day, yes.

KL: And you said you had meals brought to your home?

MS: Sometimes, and sometimes, like I said, you go over there in the kitchen, see the people and make new friends.

KL: Who made those kind of decisions for your family?

MS: I Have no idea. You mean for the cooking and all of that?

KL: Yeah, like when you would go out or stay in?

MS: It must be the manager or somebody, I have no idea.

KL: Did one of your parents or your brothers...

MS: Oh, sometimes they helped. But they had a, looks like they used to have a lot of help or so. And one of my friends used to go all the time over there. Oh, he passed away, though.

KL: Was there a person in particular in your family who became the leader?

MS: Not really.

KL: Did you guys go to church in Crystal City?

MS: I don't remember if they have a church over there. Gosh, I don't remember that. Maybe they had a Buddhist, I don't think they had a Catholic church. I forgot. I don't think so, I don't know. Sorry.

KL: That's okay. Did your family have any Catholic traditions that they continued in Crystal City?

MS: No, not in Crystal City, I don't think so.

KL: Are there any people in Crystal City that really stick out when you think about that time?

MS: What do you mean by that?

KL: Are there any people, any teachers or anyone from the kitchen or anyone that you think about when you think about Crystal City? Or really just your family?

MS: Oh, I remember that, yes.

KL: Who do you remember?

MS: Especially my teachers. And I sometimes think about my friend from Hawaii.

KL: Who was she or he?

MS: Matano, Cherry Matano, now I remember her name, Cherry Matano. It was a real nice lady.

KL: What was her personality like?

MS: Real nice and sweet. And I just say that, all the same every time you see her. You don't see angry or mad or something like that, always the same, real nice person.

KL: How old was she?

MS: She was older than I am, so must be, maybe close to ninety maybe, now.

KL: How did you meet her?

MS: In the camp.

KL: Was she a student with you or a neighbor?

MS: No, just a regular person. I don't think she went to school, she was older than I am. And I don't think they had a... I wonder if they had a high school. I don't remember that. I only remember the elementary school over there, the smaller middle school.

KL: How do you think that your sister reacted to being removed from Peru and put in Crystal City?

MS: I have no idea. Probably just like me, probably scared, and what's going to happen, until we get in the camp.

KL: What about your brothers?

MS: Same thing. I think everybody was the same thing, until you find out what's going on. Because everything was new for them, too, you know.

KL: Did they seem happy or angry or nervous?

MS: No, I think more nervous, I think. Until they get over there and see what will happen.

KL: Do you think it was different for Luis and Antonio than for Julio?

MS: Oh, I'm pretty sure everyone had a different, you know, experience.

KL: How was it different?

MS: I don't know. Someone just talked, they just don't say nothing. So I don't know what they're thinking about it.

KL: What was your... did you have an apartment at Crystal City? What was the place where you lived like?

MS: Inside the camp? It was like a barracks, like a house, small house. It was green, not very big, we have a stove, and you had to put some, I think, wood or coal, whatever, because it gets cold in the winter. So not very big place for us to stay over there, you know. We made it.

KL: Was it a free standing house or was it part of a longer building?

MS: No, it was like that. I don't know what you call that.

KL: Who was in that place with you? Who was in the house?

MS: Just one family each, every different... it's all together one here, one here, it's kind of close. But it's one in one family, one building, small building. Well, you know, I don't know how many people were there, so you cannot have two big places, really. There were so many. So it was nice.

KL: And you were there for about a year and a half?

MS: Yes.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2012 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.