<Begin Segment 19>

KP: Richard, do you have any questions you want to...

RP: Yeah, Yuki, going back to Tule Lake, did your husband have an office as a block manager?

YM: Uh-huh.

RP: Was that in your barrack or...

YM: Yes. End of our barrack. We lived in the room next door to the office.

RP: Now did he also have a secretary or anybody else who supported his work?

YM: Yeah, I had to help him. [Laughs] He's not home sometimes, I have to answer the phone and things like that. Go find him.

KP: Was that the one phone in the block, was in that block manager's office?

YM: Uh-huh.

RP: Do you remember if he was required to fill out reports every day or at certain times?

YM: I don't know. But I know they had block managers meeting and they used to go all the time. I don't know if it was once a week or... I forgot. Then whatever they discussed at the meeting he would come back and report at our mess hall. That's where he gave all the speeches, at the mess hall.

RP: While at Tule Lake do you remember hearing about a group called the Hoshidan?

YM: Uh-huh.

RP: What do you remember?

YM: Well, they're the ones that had these little things wrapped around their head and they used to march and, and make a lot of ruckus. We didn't even know what it was all about.

RP: Was there ever any pressure put on your husband by pro-Japanese elements in the camp to renounce his citizenship?

YM: No. Only his brother-in-law was so into that other group that we just left him alone. We don't even talk to them about it. 'Cause it's none of our business. Well he tried to persuade his sister not to go to Japan but she said, she said he was working for the American government and not thinking about them. So, he says well, he said, "You should think because you have all these children. You're gonna be sorry." But she said, "I made up my mind. I'm leaving." So, so we just let her do it. But they came back.

KP: And have you, have you talked to your children about camp?

YM: Yeah.

KP: And grandchildren?

YM: They ask a lot of questions. We tell 'em whatever happened. We don't keep it a secret.

KP: Anything else? All right, well thank you very much, Yuki, for sharing your stories with us.

YM: Oh, you're welcome.

KP: And on behalf of myself and Richard and the National Park Service I want to thank you.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 2009 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.