Densho Digital Archive - Jim Tsujimura Interview (denshovh-tjim

<Begin Segment 4>

MR: And you mentioned you worked on a farm. What did you do on the farm?

JT: Oh, like anyone else would, a common laborer, weeding, hoeing, raking, that type of work at eight dollars a month.

MR: And what were the crops?

JT: We raised several things. After we, it was desert at first, nothing was growing, then we channeled water from the canal which was running nearby to that area. And I recall growing melons, all sorts of vegetables, later animals, I remember some pigs. And we was kind of independent in that way that the government didn't have to feed us everything. We grow, we grew a number of crops.

MR: When you were in school, what was a typical day like for you when you got up 'til when you went to sleep at night?

JT: It was very similar to the school I attended in Portland except the one thing I remember is that we all brought a bath towel that during the afternoon, we placed on the floor and take a nap or so-called nap for about a half an hour. Other than that, some of our teachers were Americans, and they were there voluntarily to teach us. So our education was up to date; and in fact, I recall having to memorize Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. So the education was less than adequate, but adequate.

MR: And what did you do for recreation?

JT: Oh, we played football. Between blocks, there would be an area that was a little wider. We'd play softball. And right next to our block was a softball field. So as far as recreation, more outdoor sports.

MR: You went there when you were eleven. And how many years did you spend there?

JT: About three and a half years.

MR: So what grades in school were you in?

JT: It happened that I was in the split class, so I spent the fifth, sixth, seventh years through junior high school in camp.

MR: What kind of activities were there through the school for you, for the students?

JT: It was very similar to any other junior high school, outdoor sports. And somehow, I became the social chairman for our class, so we had a number of dances, social dances without any drinks, of course.

MR: While you were studying in school and learning about history and American government, what did you think?

JT: I was young enough at that time not to get too deeply into what the government was actually doing to us. And so like any other teenager, young teenager, oh, I guess playing is more important than the political things.

MR: Is there anything else about camp that you'd like to share?

JT: Well, except that we were sent there supposedly to protect ourselves from the American people or from harm. I always wondered why the barbed wire fence at the top pointed inward. If it were for our protection, they should have been pointed outward. The machine gun and the towers that the soldiers were, the guns were pointing at us, not outside, away from us. So was that for our protection? I often wondered that.

MR: Besides working, your parents, besides working as a waitress and as a fireman, what was life like for them in camp?

JT: Well, they did make friends, and they would occasionally go visit or some would come visit us, but they also spent time trying to make their own garden in front of our barrack. But there really was not that much of a social life for them. It was hard work, and I didn't know what they were thinking of what was happening.

MR: When the questionnaire came out with the questions 27 and 28, do you remember the discussions that were going on?

JT: I really don't. In fact, it was until later that I really realized what they were trying to do. But we were in camp held as more or less hostages, and how could they possibly come out with question 27, 28, "Are you loyal to your emperor?" No. Some answered "yes" because on purpose they wanted to do that and say "yes" because they took our liberties away. They took our freedom away. The other question, "Would you be loyal to your country?" Well, we were all loyal to our country. So that question, to me, was not that important. I was a little too young.

MR: But your parents being Issei had problems signing because they would have no country. So what, were they discussing anything about that?

JT: I never did overhear them discuss or nor do I recall their discussing that. My dad was too old to go into the service, but they were all for America. America was their home. They were permanent residents of the United States. So I could about, just about feel how they felt.

MR: Did people begin to leave camp to go other places?

JT: Yes. Fortunately, they allowed people to go who had sponsors. They had to have sponsors first, but you could not move towards the West Coast. It was the Midwest or East. In fact, my sister left earlier to Chicago to attend school, and many of the older boys and girls also did the same.