<Begin Segment 14>

RP: This is tape two of our continuing interview with Mary Ichino. There was an interesting story that you shared based around --

MI: I'm taking my glasses off.

RP: -- based around a plan, Dave came up with a plan to get Toyo Miyatake's equipment in to camp, his film equipment.

MI: Yeah I read that but I don't remember that really too well. I think Archie was talking about that. 'Cause when Archie told me about that I said, "Oh, he did?" And I'm not too sure if he was the one that said that when we were at the park. Remember at the high school park and we were all talking? 'Cause, I didn't... we did so many paperwork, I can't keep track of it all. But I know that Mr. Merritt, when he came as the project director, things changed.

RP: In what way?

MI: For the better. I thought for the better. Somehow he was able to sort of bend some things. That maybe the first two or first one or the second one did not. Yeah.

RP: What changes have, did you see in the camp before the riot and then after the riot? Did the camp change significantly after that event?

MI: The person that got shot, James Ito, lived right here in Pasadena, my friend's brother. In fact, he was in my class. So that was a shock. He was a quiet guy. I remember that we heard all this commotion and we were inside our barrack. And people were just yelling and screaming and my mother looked out and she said, "You're not to go outside, none of you. Stay inside."

[Interruption]

RP: Were you working as a dental technician during that time? Or was that later?

MI: Probably, yeah. No, I can't be. Because you know why? James was in my class and I wasn't working when I was going to school. Yeah.

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