Densho Digital Archive - George Uchida - Leo Uchida Interview (denshovh-ugeorge

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RP: You were in the choir, too?

GU: Yes.

RP: So you liked to sing.

GU: Well, I like to sing, but I can't say I'm a singer. [Laughs] I'm not in a choir anymore.

RP: Did you do any singing at Manzanar with Louis Frizzell?

GU: You know, I think I was in the glee club there with Mr. Frizzell's class, yeah.

RP: He brought a lot of voices to life there.

GU: Do you know anything more about Mr. Frizzell? Is he still living? No.

RP: After we're done, I can give you some more information.

GU: For some reason, I thought that he came back and became music teacher at Uni High, but I think I'm wrong on that. This Maeda, if you know him, I think he was supposed to have followed up on that music teacher or whatever, the life of Mr. Frizzell.

RP: Made a short movie about him.

GU: Yeah, I didn't see it, so I didn't know. But I, for some reason, I thought this was the same person that I had in Manzanar, but I don't think it was. It was somebody else that worked, worked in the Uni High music department.

RP: As far as I know, I think he went on to pursue a Broadway career.

GU: Really?

RP: Went into movies and television.

LU: That's after Manzanar? Oh.

RP: Did you have him, Leo?

LU: No. I know he was a music teacher.

GU: I guess I can say I knew him once. [Laughs]

RP: George, have you returned to Manzanar in the years since you left?

GU: Well, as I mentioned before, I go fishing a lot to, up in the Bishop, Crowley Lake area, so only... every time I finish fishing, coming home, I'd stop by, but only at the gate. Once or twice, I did go visit the museum itself. For no other reason, just to stop and have my refreshment they gave. [Laughs]

RP: Did you have children?

GU: Do I have children? Yes. Up there. [Indicates photograph] All five.

RP: Now, do they have, have they asked you or inquired about your experiences at Manzanar?

GU: No, I don't... I don't remember, recall them ever asking me about it.

RP: Did you talk about it with them at all?

GU: Very little. In fact, with one of my daughters, I think it was the fiftieth anniversary, you know, at the end of April they always have that trip to Manzanar cemetery. I think I took my, one of my daughters to that one year on the fiftieth anniversary. Other than that, none of my older children have ever been there.