Densho Digital Archive - Paul Saito Interview (denshovh-spaul-01-0016)

<Begin Segment 16>

AC: So in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed, did you even know where Pearl Harbor was?

PS: Oh, yeah, I think we did, 'cause about that time, Brother Joe was saying he was going overseas, so we started paying attention to that kind of thing. Yeah, I think we did.

AC: You were sitting in the Santos' living room, they had their Philco, their brand new Philco, and you heard this announcement after Sunday school. How did you feel?

PS: Well, it was just, it never... probably at that time it never dawned on us that it was such a big deal. And so I think at the time we went back over to the church to tell people what had happened, I couldn't believe it. And so at that time, I guess it was no big deal to us. We were educated, born and educated in this country, so I just kind of accepted it at that particular time. We went to school here, and we were all accepted by our kids, the kids at school, and friends. So it wasn't that big of a deal at that particular time.

AC: But shortly afterwards, you started seeing signs, "No Japs Allowed."

PS: Yeah, yeah.

AC: How did that make you feel?

PS: Oh, we probably felt some disgust. I guess in our own mind and thinking, we weren't one of the "Japs." I don't know, it probably hit a lot of people, well, people in a different way. I remember brother Abe, it really got to him. Fortunately, he didn't get into any trouble, but he didn't like it at all. I guess it just didn't bother me that much at that particular time. But it started to sink in later, I think, especially after the evacuation order, and people started moving into our area. And since the relocation, we had one of the relocation camps at Minidoka, which is about 150 miles from here on east, maybe 175 miles, but then all these people started living out here and then came out to our area to work. There was some... I don't know if there's any real nasty things that went on, at least I don't remember it. Well, I think like my father-in-law went to a barber in Vale, and the barber shop there, he put up a sign, I can't remember, he sat and was waiting to get his hair cut, and finally the barber there told him he couldn't serve him anymore. And I guess that's one of the closest things that I can remember. And I'm sure there are... oh, I remember, had a fellow here in Ontario that, he worked at the garage, service manager, something, anyway, parts manager. But anyway, I think he had a dislike for Orientals. Anyway, one Saturday I remember he come up to me, "Hey, how about giving me twenty bucks? I need some money." So, yeah, okay, I just happened to have some money then, and I gave it to him. That's the last I ever saw of that. But he just took advantage of me. But I never made any issue out of it, it's just one of the things I remember. I think that's probably the only time I was ever taken advantage of. I knew him, too, but maybe he thought I was... well, he just took advantage of me. I think that's about the only time I can remember any incident like that.