Densho Digital Archive - Taketora Jim Tanaka Interview (denshovh-ttaketora-01-0007)

<Begin Segment 7>

KP: Well, let's... December 7, 1941, it was a Sunday. What were you doing when you heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor?

TT: Well, a neighbor came over and told us. We were getting ready for market for Monday morning. I remember we were washing the carrots. We had a big old tub, we were washing carrots, I remember that. Came and told us. Then the first thing, like Pearl Harbor, said, "Where in the hell is that?" [Laughs] Now I know, but back then, '40, '41, we found out real quick where it was at, though.

KP: And what did you think about that? I mean, did you ever get a chance to see movies when you were a kid? Did you go to the movies?

TT: Well, at that time I said, once I found out what it was, I knew goddarn, we were in a lot of trouble. That much I knew. But I didn't know how bad of a trouble, that I didn't know. But I knew we were gonna be hurtin', I knew that.

KP: So you knew there was a relationship between the Japanese army attacking --

TT: Because don't forget, we were more or less discriminated, we couldn't live in certain places, we couldn't own land, they had a lot of restrictions for our Issei parents. That much I knew.

KP: Even as a kid, you knew that.

TT: Yeah. See, like people that had property, they had the first son or daughter, they put it in that children's name, child's name. But I think about, like my folks, Dad was a citizen, but we didn't have the money to buy the property.

KP: So what was the talk around your family? What were your father and your grandfather and your grandparents' reaction? Do you remember what their reactions were?

TT: Well, that's... that's all, first thing, they said they was worried. Minute they bombed that U.S. property, they knew we was gonna -- my grandfather, my grandmother and my grandfather said, "We're gonna be, there's gonna be lot of trouble," he said. And he was right. The minute we knew where they bombed, we knew we were gonna be in trouble.