<Begin Segment 25>

RP: Do you have anything else that you'd like to add?

KP: Nope, I got the horse story. That's what I wanted.

RP: You got the horse story. How about one more humorous story about camp, Mary?

MI: One more humorous?

RP: Yeah, give us one more humorous story that you...

MI: Well, did you know who the "Mayor of Manzanar" was? Quote, un-quote... Mr. Anzai?

RP: Oh, that's right, Mr. Anzai.

MI: Such a lovable man. Don't forget him. Poor guy. [Laughs]

RP: I thought he was a judo instructor.

MI: I don't know.

RP: A couple of those guys were. The mayor, so...

MI: I don't know, he, he would always come and check up on me and say, "Well, how are you doing?" I would say, "Oh, here is the mayor of Manzanar again." [Laughs] You know, it just dawned on me. You asked me if my dad worked. I think he worked in the camouflage.

RP: Oh, I don't know about that. You know, that was strictly Nisei work.

MI: Was it?

RP: Oh yeah.

MI: Oh, maybe it wasn't that then. What did he work in then? What else could it have been. I just, that thing came into my mind. Can't work in the guayule farm, that wasn't his expertise. And I'm sure he had enough of cooking. I have no idea. Maybe he sat and read, which is what he loved. Men took up knitting.

RP: In camp?

MI: [Nods]

RP: Really?

MI: I thought that was hilarious. Said, "Men don't do that." I says, "Why not? They gotta kill time somehow." Yeah, there was two guys across our barrack in Block 19 and they'd be sitting out there, they're knitting. I don't know what they're knitting. [Laughs]

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.