<Begin Segment 7>

RP: If we could go back to Manzanar. And do you have any stories or anything that your parents shared with you about their time at Manzanar?

LY: Well, they left us pictures, photos, and we know when we were growing up we were still young and now I'm retired and maybe last ten years, I became more interested in what went on when we were little or before us. So we started to think about our grandparents and then our parents and now I'm really interested and want to know more. So I'm trying to read more and get whatever, whatever I can get hold of it. And talking to the older people who are like in eighties (and nineties), and tried to get the information from them. And Bill Taketa is one of the person who share about the Manzanar Block 30, whole picture. And he said the only person who I'm missing is those people who has to work at the time they took the pictures. And he said there, there were three hundred people living there. So I forgot to bring today but we made it in two section because it's very long. And it's taken by Toyo Miyatake. It's a beautiful black and white. And then he also wrote me a name of the families who were living in Block 30, especially people from Florin, Elk Grove, and let's see, Mayhew area, and the Rancho Cordova.

RP: One of your aunts that went to Manzanar had an interest in photography.

LY: Yes.

RP: And who was that?

LY: Pardon?

RP: Who was that?

LY: Oh, that's Auntie Nellie Sakakihara.

RP: And she took pictures at Manzanar?

LY: Very interesting. And I say if it wasn't for her, I don't think we'd have that many pictures.

RP: Do you know if she, how did she get a camera into camp?

LY: It was a Kodak and then she took a photography class in Elk Grove (High School). That's what it says in the album. And then she had a tour in Stanford University.

RP: She had a...

LY: The, I guess club, visited the Stanford University when she was in camera club. So I'm very, very thankful. That's why I think she was the one person always as we were growing up takes the picture and develop and give it to the families. Now I can really appreciate. And then fortunately our cousin, her son, one of their son, has all of these photos and he is very willing to share the pictures. 'Cause in August this year we had a family reunion of the Senos and this is our fourth year. And then my daughter asked, "Can we borrow your albums?" Because we are looking for old pictures of our grandparents, our parents, and her siblings, and then when we're younger. But anyway, that's why my older sister and my oldest brother and Francis and Paul's picture up to four years old, up to Manzanar, she's the one that took so many of 'em. So they were so cute.

RP: So your parents, there was a "loyalty questionnaire" that went around at Manzanar. And your parents answered, "no-no." And what, you told me that they, what was their reason for wanting to go back to Japan? Why did they want to go...

LY: Reason for going back?

RP: Yeah.

LY: My parents, my father had his mother who was seventy -- let's see -- three. So, she needed, or she's the only one alive along with her oldest daughter. And anyway, she's married, and she has her own children. So, they felt they are, you know, very responsible to take care of her life.

RP: And, and your father was, was he the only son?

LY: Right. And then he's the really only one son and then needed to be with her.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2009 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.