Densho Digital Archive - Bo T. Sakaguchi Interview (denshovh-sbo-01-0009)

<Begin Segment 9>

JA: Were you aware at your age of tensions developing within the camp between different groups?

BS: Well, we -- well, there was tension... I guess they would be like the gangs of today, territory gangs. The San Pedro people, they were treated very poorly and so they were very angry. They had their own group. And then the Manzanites were the Boyle Heights and downtown L.A. people, and they had their own group. You used to think -- and then they'd compete in sports and there would be some competition, but I don't remember there being an --

[Interruption]

BS: Okay, the San Pedro people -- I should have, I should have mentioned it was Terminal Island -- there was a large colony of Japanese living on Terminal Island. They were in the fishing industry and they worked in the fishing industry, and that's where the Navy was. And the Navy says, "You are all going to have to leave," and they gave them twenty-four hours, or less -- twenty-four hours. And so by then, the FBI had arrested most of the adults because since they were in the fishing industry, they were considered spies, and so they were all taken away. And so the families were left with the children and the mother, and given twenty-four hours to move, move all of your, your things out of your home. Many families were invited by churches to move into their, into the church, or some families went to relatives' homes. But I had a few friends from Terminal Island and they were very angry because on the day that they had to move -- here they had brand-new refrigerators and household appliances, and they couldn't move them because where can they take it, where can they store it? And so the people who buy used furniture came in droves into the area and would offer them five dollars for a brand-new refrigerator or a new stove and things like that. So my friend who was in Terminal Island, whose father was taken away, was very angry because he says, "Oh, these people," they categorized them all under one religion, which wasn't fair because they weren't. But he always used to say very bad things about these people, because here they came in their carts and offered them nothing for their, for their furniture, so they were very angry. They were always angry and accused of the wrong religion, because I'm sure there were people of many religions who were there taking advantage of these people who had to move in such short notice.

JA: And that anger carried over into camp?

BS: Oh, it carried over into camp, he always used -- and he was my buddy and he'd always tell me, oh these people, they would come and offer us nothing for our furniture and things, and there we had to move and we didn't know where to go. And so they had a very tough time and they were very angry. I don't blame them.