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RP: What were some of the most difficult situations that you faced in Manzanar? Was it the latrine situation, was it the food, or was it a combination of all those things?

MI: I think, I would have to say when we got off the bus -- some people traveled by train. We had to take the Greyhound bus which we thought was great because I had never been beyond that part, you know. But when we got off and this man came on the bus and he had this, what is it, armband that said "MP." And my god, MP, you'd think he's in a military uniform but he wasn't and he was one of the internees. And he gave us a canvas bag and told us to fill it up. And we said, "What for?" That was our mattress. We had to fill up our own mattress with hay. And I... it's kind of like going from a human being to an animal. And it's so funny because you have to adjust your mattress every night because it gets all these indentations, you know. That was probably the eye-opener. And the second one was when you had to go and you found out the latrine was just one open bowl after another. I thought, "This is ridiculous." To me, that was very inhuman, extremely inhuman. I thought the least they could have done was put up partitioning. And you could have somebody stand in front of you. But at least a partition. And then the other one was then we had to go brush our teeth. And if you were in the middle of this what looks like a trough, actually, you don't dare stay in the middle 'cause everybody's spit and whatever goes down the middle. [Laughs] So you get kinda smart, you know. What was the other? Oh, and diarrhea was rampant. And I didn't even... never heard of the word diarrhea until I went to Manzanar. I never had... which is a funny subject to talk about. And that was the reason why made it even more so difficult to go to the restroom.

RP: Was that something that was rampant in camp? I mean were there, was the whole block coming down with diarrhea or was it...

MI: It just seemed like everybody was.

RP: And was, from what you recall, what did people blame that on? Was it, was it food or...

MI: I don't...

RP: Lack of hygiene or...

MI: Well, the one thing I heard was that because the, the change in the soil and the water. But golly, you can't find a better water than the one up there. At that time, when everybody was suffering, I didn't have that problem. And there was a man, he was... I know he was crippled, a very well-known man, writer, Carl Kondo. And Carl Kondo and I, we all, a bunch of us used to hang out together. And I said, "Gee, Carl, what is it the talk that everybody is saying diarrhea?" "Oh, you mean to tell me you've never heard about the two twins that were born?" And I go, "No." "Well, one is called Dia and one is Rhea." And I took it seriously. And I thought, oh god. So, anyway, that's how I started learning what diarrhea was all about.

RP: That's the epitome of a sheltered life isn't it?

MI: It is very sheltered. I lived a very privileged life, I have to admit. I didn't think so. I thought it was a very normal life.

RP: Until you get Manzanar.

MI: 'Til I got there. It was a very happy life. It was a very happy life.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.