Densho Digital Archive - Ko Nishimura Interview (denshovh-nko-01-0025)

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RM: And then my other question was earlier we were talking about the FBI arrest. Did you have any friends or anyone in the area that you were living in that also had experienced FBI arrests, or was it, was your grandfather one of few in the area that you were in?

KN: I'm sure there were others, but the Japanese community was quiet about things like that happening to them personally. They don't go around advertising, because it's rather embarrassing, I think. So I'm sure there were probably hundreds of them. Because I know they took a picture in the L.A. Times, and they're standing in front of the gate at Terminal Island federal penitentiary. There must be three or four hundred Japanese men standing out there. And I'm sure many of them were dragged in by the FBI. They just got dragged in on Sunday, just took 'em all in, right? Threw 'em in the paddy wagon and they hauled them down there, and they had this prison. You look in the L.A. Times and they had a picture.

KL: And your grandpa's in that picture?

KN: Yeah, he's standing right in the middle. He's the only one looking up. He says, "I didn't do anything," very proud man. He was right.

RM: Then the last thing about just the FBI think was that I noticed, like we kind of talked about the actual series of events with people showing up at the door and then what you felt your grandfather and your grandmother's impressions were, but what were your impressions?

KN: Well, my only thing is you just recollect because they call me by name. My name is not easy to pronounce, it's Koichi. "Koichi," they says, "we'd like to speak to your grandfather."

RM: What were your feelings?

KN: And I knew what they said, I think the exact wording was, "We'd like to speak to your grandfather Sueji." See, I didn't really understand English so I said, Sueji, so I went and got my grandfather.

KL: She was wondering what your feelings were.

KN: Sort of scary to see two tall men in overcoats standing in front. And you're only this tall. You're what, three, three and a half? "Yes, sir," you know. Next thing you knew, he came back, and I'm just holding the door open. So he came back and he had his coat and his hat, that was it. And then, of course, my grandparents and my mother didn't say anything. So dinnertime came, no grandpa. As far as I knew, he was down at the office. Then a few days went by, no grandpa, now you know something's wrong. And nothing was said. But the Japanese community, they grabbed all the community leaders and everything else. I was sure my grandfather was one of hundreds that did that, yeah, came afterwards.

KL: Is there anything else about your life or anything that you wanted to include, stuff I didn't know to ask about, or Manzanar?

KN: No, I don't think so. You guys got my academic life, you got my professional life, you could look at online. So my career early on, I talked to you about that. I think I talked to about everything I knew about my uncle, talked to you about my family. I don't think so. If there is, give me a call.

KL: Okay. And likewise, I mean, we're in touch now. Well, thank you very much, we'll turn this off.