Densho Digital Archive - Susumu Iwasaki Interview (denshovh-isusumu

<Begin Segment 26>

RP: And when did you start this Terminal Island group or association that meets...

SI: That I don't know. 'Cause see, I was overseas then yet. And I think they might, it might have been started before I came back. So that I don't know. In fact, I never asked.

RP: You're also been involved in planning some of the high school reunions?

SI: Was I involved in high school... not really, huh.

RP: You get up and sing every year.

SI: No, well, that, that's the whole camp thing. But we did have a few reunion, aside from the camp reunion. Remember we used to go to the different restaurant that had [inaudible]. I don't know who used to, I think, well, there was a few people that I knew that was involved in that, but they're all, a couple of them just died already, so... aside from that, that's all I can remember. Not, not too much with the, the high school all class, class reunion. But I've been involved with the Manzanar group for, like, oh, a half a dozen year now.

RP: You're still, you still have friends that you met in camp and...

SI: Oh, yeah, yeah. Lots. Surprising how much they change there.

RP: Based on what, what you went through going to camp, do you have any advice or insight to share with young people today?

SI: Well, offhand, I can't think of nothing I would like to relay to them. The only thing was that I think most of the young people now, they don't even know that Manzanar is existed. Even my grandkids, I don't think they even know that I was in camp. Which, I didn't get a chance to sit down and talk to them. So, which I would like to one of these days. But...

RP: Did your camp experience have any impact on your life or...

SI: Not really. It's, it's back there already. So, of course, the only regret is that we didn't have a basic education there which would have helped. But most of the guys, I guess they struggled and went through college, which was fine. But me, I just, when I went overseas I spent most of my time and got married over there, got family and all my... so I didn't get a chance to see the college or the thing that I would have liked to do. But, well, I guess that's life.