<Begin Segment 22>

RP: You mentioned about your father when he came back. Do you remember that day when he finally returned, and what was that like?

AF: Oh, you mean when he was interned?

RP: Right, and he came back to Manzanar?

AF: Yes, yes. Oh, I think it was, you know, quite a shock to him.

NN: And how was it for you?

AF: Oh, for us, of course, I mean, I was so young I don't remember too much of it.

KT: I don't remember.

AF: Yeah, but I'm sure the whole family must have been very happy. Do you remember? You were happy, huh?

NN: Well, I was shocked because he didn't have his hair. [Laughs]

AF: Oh, that's right, he lost his hair, yeah.

RP: Was there anything else different about him?

NN: Well, I think so. I can't really pinpoint it, but there was... he was a little bit different. I don't know... how would I explain that? Well, he was a stoic man in the first place, but gosh, I don't know how to explain it. I really don't know how to explain that, but he was different. But he, his heart was still good. Because I remember when he came back during the New Year's, we used to go, he would take me, and we'd go visiting the various families to have their New Year's food. And I remember Mama preparing something or other, I don't know what it was, doing that, and so he was still his gentle kind self on the inside, but there was a difference. And he never talked about it. I've tried asking him.

AF: He was always stoic, very quiet.

NN: So I have to just contact the... there's a way of getting some records, hopefully I could do that.

RP: I would encourage you to do that.

AF: Well, all I know about his family history is was an orphan at a very early age. In fact, his mother passed away as soon as he was born or something, if I remember right, something like that, anyway. And so he was brought up by a wet nurse, that's all I know. So I know he didn't have a close relationship with his true mother at all, just a wet nurse. Who knows about that situation. There must have been a closeness.

RP: Did he work after he got back from Manzanar?

AF: Oh, yes.

NN: In Manzanar?

KT: After Manzanar, when he got back.

NN: Yeah, I don't remember.

AF: Yes, my father always worked, because he always had people helping him.

NN: No, no. She's talking in camp. After he came, joined us in the camp, in Manzanar.

AF: Oh, the camp. Oh, did he work? He worked in the kitchen briefly.

KT: I don't remember.

AF: Yeah, I vaguely remember he was in the kitchen, working in the kitchen, helping. But it was sort of demeaning for him because he was never that type of person, to work. He always had his own business.

NN: But you know, I never sensed that he would feel that way about working like that. Isn't that interesting?

AF: 'Cause you were so young, you were only...

KT: He was such a quiet man, you never knew exactly what he was feeling, just how he was feeling.

AF: Just a child.

KT: All I know is he doted on his family.

AF: Oh, yeah, he loved his girls. He loved his girls. And he never regretted not having any sons.

KT: I remember his friends would come over and say, "Gee, Mr. Nishi, too bad you don't have a son." He had such a big, going business. And he always used to say he never regretted it. Of course, we all helped, so maybe that --

AF: She was a big help. She and my older sister, other two sisters would. I'm sure I wasn't too much of a help.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.