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RP: [My name is Richard Potashin and we are at the] Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are interviewing Victor Ikeda, a former internee at the Puyallup Assembly Center and the Minidoka War Relocation Center. The date of the interview is November 6, 2007, and we'll be talking with Mr. Ikeda about his experiences at both camps framed in reference to his life before and after camp as well. Our videographer for this interview is Kirk Peterson. Victor, I want to thank you very much for --

VI: You're welcome.

RP: -- sharing some of your morning talking about your family history and your camp history. Let's start our interview this morning talking a little bit about your family. First of all, can you give us your date of birth and where you were born?

VI: I was born February 4, 1927, in Seattle, Washington.

RP: And what was your given name at birth?

VI: It was Junichi, and Victor was added later on so it's kind of a complicated thing. If you look at my driver's license, it has J. Victor Ikeda. If you look at my latest birth certificate, it has Victor Junichi Ikeda. [Laughs] So...

RP: Can you give us any insights into the meaning of your Japanese name?

VI: Well, the first part, Junichi, "ichi" means "first"; but "Jun," I don't, I don't know what that means. Ikeda is kind of like a rice pond, so it's a rice field type meaning. That was what I was told. [Laughs]

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2007 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.