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RP: This is an oral history interview for the Manzanar National Historic Site. This morning we're talking with Kiyo Tanaka, Nancy Nishi, and Aya Fujimoto. And our interview's taking place at the law offices of Stephen Youngerman, located at 11150 Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The date of our interview is July 19, 2008. Our interviewer is Richard Potashin and our videographer is Kirk Peterson. Our interview today will be archived in the Manzanar site library. And do I have your permission to go ahead and record our interview?

AF: Oh, yes.

RP: Thank you very much for all coming together today. It was kind of a nice little reunion right out there in the lobby there. And want to ask all of you, first of all, to give us your date of birth and where you were born, starting with Aya.

AF: 1/28/30.

RP: Okay.

KT: February 26, 1927, in Los Angeles.

NN: June 25, 1936.

RP: I want to, want to get straight on your Japanese names, Nancy.

NN: It's Toshiko. T-O-S-H-I-K-O.

RP: And that was your given name at birth, Toshiko?

NN: Yes.

KT: Mine is Kyoko, K-Y-O-K-O.

RP: Okay.

AF: A-Y-A-K-O.

RP: A-Y-A-K-O. Ayako?

AF: Yes.

RP: And you had a few other siblings. Can you give us their names and their date of birth if you can recall it?

NN: Miyoko Oku, M-I-Y-O-K-O. Her married name is Oku now, he's deceased. But let's see. Her birthday was December... let's see, I get confused with Ayako's.

AF: Twenty-second.

NN: Twenty-second, wasn't it? Yeah, 'cause Ayako's on the nineteenth. It's the twenty-second, 19'... let's see, you were born on the twenty-eighth? Twenty-seventh?

KT: Twenty-seven.

NN: You were on twenty-seventh, and she's twenty-sixth. She's only a year, about a year younger, right?

KT: Yes.

NN: Oh, no, I take that back. Yeah, I guess --

KT: I don't remember.

NN: Yeah, I think it's twenty-sixth.

RP: Just four sisters.

NN: That's it. My poor dad. [Laughs]

AF: Yeah, he had a nursery business and no sons. Yeah, four daughters. Nancy turned out to be a girl.

NN: I was a... whoops, no. [Laughs] I shouldn't say that. I've got to be careful what I say.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.