<Begin Segment 14>

RP: Did your mother and father work in camp?

FY: No, my father had tuberculosis, so he was in the hospital. And my mother did not work because my brother was very young yet. I think he was, let's see, he was much younger than, about... let's see, seven years younger than I am, so he was just a child.

RP: So you were, you were the only member of your family that was actually working.

FY: Oh, and my younger sister, yes.

RP: What did she do?

FY: Let me see now. She worked in, she worked in the administration office.

RP: Being part of the recreation department, did you come in contact with, close contact with administration, WRA officials?

FY: No, not at all. Harry Mayeda, who was the head of our department, of our recreation, he was the one that got in contact with those people.

RP: So you never developed any relationships at all with the staff of the camp?

FY: No, I didn't.

RP: And how were, how did you receive materials and supplies, or uniforms for baseball?

FY: I really don't know about baseball, but that was a very active sport there.

RP: For both Nisei and Issei.

FY: Yes, uh-huh. But I was not into baseball, so I really don't know much about the baseball.

RP: Did you participate in any sports in the camp?

FY: No, not at all, except dancing.

RP: That's a sport.

FY: Saturday night was our dance program.

RP: And was that for the entire camp?

FY: Yes, anyone who wants to go could go to those dances. I think, however, you had to pay ten cents to be admitted.

RP: And where were the dances held?

FY: In the dining area.

RP: Of the mess hall?

FY: Yeah, mess hall.

RP: Did you have an auditorium while you were there?

FY: No, we didn't.

[Interruption]

RP: This is tape two of a continuing interview with Fusa Yamamoto. And Fusa, we were talking about some of your experiences at Tule Lake, and you just, we'd like you to share that story you just brought up for us.

FY: Oh, I see. All right. There was a person who was going to get married, and she sewed her wedding gown by hand.

RP: And did you attend that wedding?

FY: No, I did not.

RP: Was there a place in camp where she could get material, or did she mail order for it?

FY: Yeah, everything was mail order. And then like in our room, camp barracks, they did not have any chairs, just cots for us to sleep on. And so we, we used to write to Sears Roebuck for a lot of things.

RP: Like chairs?

FY: Chairs, uh-huh, canvas chairs and clothing.

RP: That was a very popular book.

FY: Yes, I should say, very popular book in camp.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.