<Begin Segment 12>

AL: So how did, how did life in Block 3 change? I mean, that's probably the biggest, other than the people who went to Tule Lake, I mean, that's probably the biggest departure is the people from Bainbridge Island all leaving at once. Do you remember that day when they left?

SK: Oh, yeah. I was... of course, I was about nine or ten, and of course the kids... you're at that stage where, "Oh we get to move and you don't get to move," kind of thing. And so that was, that was a big thing with me. You know, how come I have to stay behind and I don't get to go traveling on a bus and a train, etcetera. The kids got to move and... but it was, it was kind of traumatic for me. But then it wasn't too long after some kids moved in and we just had fun by ourselves.

AL: Who moved into your block?

SK: Well, Kay Nakao's sister-in-law and her family moved in. And Eileen, who is just a couple years older than me, she moved. So she and several other kids that were... there weren't any other families that, real families, that moved in. There were mostly bachelors that moved into our block.

AL: So that must have changed life on the block.

SK: Yes. It was... 'cause all of the, all of our neighbors were bachelors in the building across from us and then our building. And I was, I was always told, you know, be careful of these people, these men, you know, single men, etcetera. But they were very, very nice people. And they...

AL: Were they mostly older?

SK: Yes. They were older gentlemen. And they were, they were very good. They taught my mother some things, you know, and they used to help each other out. And it was... and then, of course, some of the men used to play their, play go which is a Japanese chess game type thing. And so that was nice. But they were, they were very nice people and, and they grew, our neighbors grew flowers and vegetables right in, right in the grassy area. And so we never had any problems.

AL: Did your father make any new friends with all the new bachelors moving in?

SK: Yeah, he did, because he used to play, he used to play his little chess game.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2008 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.