Densho Digital Archive - Mary Suzuki Ichino Interview II (denshovh-imary-02-0017)

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RP: So tell me how, how you got involved with this WRA opportunity in Los Angeles.

MI: Oh, you mean the job?

RP: The job.

MI: Frankly, I don't know how I got this job. I don't know whether somebody recommended me or what. And they asked if I wanted to work in WRA in Los Angeles. There is no, I don't recall anybody saying, "You have to make an application for this job." And that's why, to me, to this day, it's a mystery. Either somebody recommended me and said, "Yeah, you should hire her," 'cause they know me or whatever. But anyway, it was a case of god, anything to get out of this, you know, camp. And so my parents said... they, they were kind of very reluctant. But they knew that I need to make a decision on my own. So they did give me permission to go as long as I was cared for, number one, Maryknoll knew I was coming. Number two, there was a Polish woman who was also a Maryknoller who was married to a Japanese man, Fred Ogura. And so Mrs. Ogura said, "She can come and stay with me." So I had a place to stay. But Mr. Ogura, believe it or not, was interned in Crystal City. And his, it was only because of his association of one of the elders of Maryknoll.

RP: Was he the only Maryknoller that was interned?

MI: No. There were others. It was always the elders of the churches or elders of the organization. One night a group of men, and that's how we were told that they come, is the FBI comes and tells you to get your toothbrush and come. No questions asked. They came to our house. Well, my dad wasn't home. He was working late that night. And I don't know whether it was because the FBI man saw four little kids, he took sympathy on us or what. I don't know. I don't know what the reason was. But my dad never... 'cause my dad was active, too, in the church. Not as active as Mr. Ogura and some of the others because he had a business to run. So I've always wondered why those men came to our house.

RP: They never returned?

MI: They never returned. And it's, it, I find that very strange, you know. And the FBI always... you know why you know it's the FBI? They always dressed the same with a hat and an overcoat, dark suit. Kind of a trademark.

RP: So this, you had this opportunity to live with Mrs. Ogura. And this -- you can correct me if I'm wrong -- but this is 1945, '44, the WRA is, wants to help people who are coming out of the camp?

MI: Yeah. It was before the camps were closed.

RP: Okay, so...

MI: They already knew that at some point the camp has to be closed. That they would have to start moving people out. Where are they gonna go? How are we gonna move them? And so they had to have a central place where the internees could go and seek for help. Now there was another girl that was also picked to go. I don't know her at all. I never met her before. And we didn't travel together. I went by myself, she went by herself, I think. 'Cause I can't speak for her 'cause I don't know how she got down there. But anyhow, I was put in the reports office which is investigative and reporting any kind of incidents.

RP: Towards Japanese Americans --

MI: Yeah.

RP: -- coming out of the camps?

MI: And then making news reports and news releases to the newspaper. And that was my job. And then meeting people. Part of it was sort of public relation.