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KP: This is an oral history being done, and will be archived at Manzanar National Historic Site. We are at 6949 Franklin Boulevard in Sacramento at the Japanese United Methodist Church. We are interviewing Joanne Iritani, and the, I am... the interviewer is Kirk Peterson, myself, and on camera we have Richard Potashin. Now, the first question I need to ask you, Joanne, is do we have your permission to interview you and to use the tape?

TI: Yes. You have my permission.

KP: All right, thank you.

TI: And I want to note that my first name is Taeko, and that's how I sign everything.

KP: Okay. Is it okay if I call you Joanne?

TI: That's fine.

KP: All right. So what we're going to do is kind of just walk through life and try to get a whole picture. So let's start at the beginning for you. Where were you born?

TI: I was born in Bakersfield, California, September 21, 1929. My parents had come from Japan, and do you want their background?

KP: We'll get to that in a minute. And your given name at birth was?

TI: Taeko Ono, O-N-O.

KP: And do you know what those names mean?

TI: My last name meant "O," as in "little." And "no" is a valley or field, so it was, house must have been in a little field.

KP: And do you know what your first name meant?

TI: Taeko, something to do with beautiful. My mother used to say it's, you use the character for myou, which must mean beautiful. [Laughs] I accept that.

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