<Begin Segment 23>

RP: So, you said that you left camp to go to Detroit. Why did you choose Detroit?

TI: Well, I kind of thought... you know, there were more people going to Chicago and I thought some place aside from Chicago would be better. And I figured Detroit being a big automotive city, I might have a chance getting a job in some automotive company. I tried but it was no good. I did get a job with the city, city of Detroit.

RP: Doing what?

TI: Doing what... they assigned me to the, Detroit had electric, what do you call it, not a train but one or two...

KP: The elevators? No.

RP: Trolley?

TI: Trolley? Yeah. They had a trolley I guess they call it. One or two running on tracks there. And my job was to check the trolley wheel, and every morning I'd have to go up and down the area where the, where they have these trolleys parked and check the wheels on them and if it needed new wheels, I'd replace it. And...

RP: Do you remember how much you got paid?

TI: No, I don't remember. But it was just better than just sitting in the office I thought. And sometime I'd help the carpenters. The broken windows, we'd replace windows and things like that.

RP: And when you left Gila, did you go out with anybody or did you just go to Detroit by yourself?

TI: I went to Detroit just by myself.

RP: And did you, how did you deal with your housing situation when you got there? Did you...

TI: There was a house... I can't understand who ran it, but it was for people that left camp you know. And I stayed there for a while until I found my own room.

RP: So there were other people who were leaving camps --

TI: Camp, yeah.

RP: -- going to Detroit.

TI: Uh-huh, yeah. Yeah, that was real convenient.

RP: And you were out in the big, big world. From Terminal Island to Detroit.

TI: Yeah.

RP: So how did you feel about all that?

TI: Oh, I didn't mind it because workin' for the city and working for the railroad, you know, branch, I had a pass. I could go anywhere I'd want to, you know. I did travel quite a bit on the streetcars and buses. And that's a real pretty place too. I was surprised. It's right next to a river. And there's a, I think, park right in the center of the river.

RP: How were you accepted as a Japanese American in that community?

TI: I wouldn't say they had, they held anything against me. I was well accepted I think at work.

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 2010 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.