Densho Digital Archive
Manzanar National Historic Site Collection
Title: Eiko Yamaichi Interview
Narrator: Eiko Yamaichi
Interviewers: Larisa Proulx, Kristen Luetkemeier
Location: San Jose, California
Date: July 15, 2015
Densho ID: denshovh-yeiko-01-0031

<Begin Segment 31>

KL: What's the name of your church here in San Jose?

EY: The church that we go to?

KL: Yeah, you said it was same sect in rural Japan where your dad died. What's your church here, what's its name?

EY: Yeah, San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin. So it was really uncanny. And then the only fruit that we had to offer to the altar was a bunch of bananas, that's all we had. Whereas over here, they want an inside, like a biscuit with the sweet bean in it, the white, and they want flowers that are white, and they want candles that are white. But I didn't have to provide that, my auntie took care of that, and I was in no shape for it. But anyway, we had that.

KL: Thank you for telling us that in such depth.

EY: You're welcome. Because I don't think many people get to experience that. And, of course, it depends on who's asking me, if they're really sincere in wanting to hear about it, but I thought I'd say it on tape because not too many people will have had that experience.

KL: Yeah, and you're here to speak about it too. The last question I think that Larisa and I both had, you've been involved in Tule Lake over so many years and in such different ways. I wonder what, and Tule Lake has been part of the National Park Service now since 2008, and I wonder what you hope to see at Tule Lake as it develops. In fifty years, what do you hope will be there, and what experience do you hope people will have when they go to visit?

EY: We've always talked about an interpretive center, somewhat like you folks in Manzanar have. But because it's where it is, will there be enough people who would pass through there to warrant an expensive building such as that? I wonder -- I don't know what Jimi thinks -- but I wonder, on the other hand, if it was there and it becomes somewhat like a rest stop like thing, maybe they'll get up and wander in and find out what truly happened there. Because I think it's important that general public find out that it did happen, it is history. We're not asking for sympathy or anything like that, we just want the facts straightened out and that the government could do that. And to enjoy your liberty and freedom and all that. So the committee is working on it toward raising money to help that to become a reality, but everyone's asking for money so it's quite hard. But it would be nice if we could do that. And local people are quite receptive now, so the whole atmosphere is good, if we could get that to fruition it would be nice.

KL: Is there anything that we've left out that you kind of expected to record today or that you want to include on the tape? Those are all of our questions, I think, but if there are...

EY: No, I don't think so, I think I've said enough. [Laughs]

KL: Well, thank you very much, this was something I've really wanted to have happen, and I'm so glad it did. Thank you very much.

EY: You're welcome.

<End Segment 31> - Copyright © 2015 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.