<Begin Segment 35>

RP: Did you, have you returned to Manzanar ever?

AS: Yeah, fiftieth anniversary. I told my daughter, "Let's go to, we'll go see your birthplace." Fiftieth anniversary, we drove up there. And her husband was born in the camp in the desert, Poston, I think, or someplace. But yeah, we went to Manzanar. I said, "Lynne, this is where you were born."

RP: How did she react to that?

AS: I don't know. She wanted... 'cause more people ask her, "Where were you born and where's Manzanar?" So now she knew. Yeah, she... so there, there it is. A lot of these gals... so she saw Manzanar. I don't know, I don't want to go back again because, unless I pass by there. They put a museum there now, too. I know I should go see the museum.

RP: How about the, the apology? The government apologized to the Japanese Americans in 1988. President Reagan signed a bill.

AS: Yeah.

RP: And then President Bush sent a apology letter and a check. How did you feel about that?

AS: Well, I was real surprised, but at least they, they finally did. And the citizenship, because my mom and dad wanted to be a citizen so long, and look at how... my mom was only twenty-one when she came here, so she was eighty-six when she died. She's a long time here. My dad, too. And so they wanted to get their citizenship, so anyway, they got it.

RP: Do you remember that, the day of the ceremony and...

AS: I don't think... I wasn't here. I think we were in Ohio. But they really studied for it because it's hard. But they studied for it and all, and all that. Don't you think that was coming, though? The Japanese people and all that. I think they, they deserved it. I know, I think, like my dad and mom did. They did so much for this country. They sent us off to college. That's hard enough. And helped other people and all, helped their family go to Brazil. They're doing very good there, the, their grandkids and all. They're really doing well up there. But see, they didn't have the hardship like we did, because we were real discriminatory. But there they were welcome, see, so it was a different thing, and people, people, the Brazilian, too, really, they're receptive to them. They know it's all these Japanese people and they did the farm and the vegetables and all. It's kind of them. I didn't know that, but that's how it was. 'Cause I guess the Brazilian people, they're not... you know, they're that way. So the, all the fruits and vegetables and all of the Japanese farmers, and I think there was some Italian farmers... so there was no prejudice against it, so they could always go around with their head high. Well, heck, I mean, I lived around this area all, most of my life, Los Angeles, and we were, to tell you the truth... I mean, I was treated real nice in school. There was no discrimination and all that. Even Venice High School, too. Yeah, you know Venice High School, Tommy? They were real nice. Do you know my graduating class, I was the second prettiest girl in the class? You know, it's funny, those poster things. I think I, because I was Japanese, I was popular with the Japanese boys, too. [Laughs] But isn't it really, isn't that something? But they didn't, see, they were really not... in those days, too.

RP: Kirk, do you have any questions?

AS: Isn't that something. I would... I didn't want to be -- I was voted the secretary of the student -- I didn't want to be the student body secretary. I didn't want to, but I heard that Mrs. Lee, the vice principal, she put me, wanted me to... I didn't even want to be, I'm not that kind of a person, leader, like my sisters. But they wanted me to be, she wanted me to be the secretary. How do you like that? And those Japanese boys all put up... I mean, so I didn't even want to be a... that's what, I was a secretary. I was a secretary of the student body, believe it or not, but I didn't even want to be it. I'm not that way, not like my two sisters. They're really leaders, but anyway, that's how it was. So see, you could see it's not prejudice.

RP: Ann, thank you so much for allowing us to interview you.

AS: Yeah, okay. I don't know, did I do okay?

RP: You did great.

<End Segment 35> - Copyright © 2009 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.