<Begin Segment 15>

TI: So let's talk about the school at Minidoka. What was that like?

LI: They had a lot of outside Caucasian teachers that came, and Mrs. Peavey was one. And we had English and Math, and we had a pretty consistent -- not consistent -- pretty good teachers. And some of them were not terrific, but they were good, and we had a principal, Mr. Stafford, I think. And, let's see. I went to my sophomore... no, freshman and sophomore year there. Because I know I came back from camp and finished off my junior and senior year. So I think we were able to skip some classes before we even went to Minidoka. I don't know why, because my ages don't coincide with the classes that I was in. And even going back to the exposition center, we had classes there also. There was a big... not a hall, but where they used to display all the animals there. We all sat on benches that were clear up there. I remember being on benches, and some of our Nisei people taught us, and I still remember a few of them that they come over to (hot lunch program at) Ikoi no Kai. So anyway, it was good that we had something to do daily.

TI: And by living with people in such close proximity, it seems like a lot of lifelong friendships developed during this time period.

LI: Oh, yes.

[Interruption]

TI: Well, during this time when you're at Minidoka, was your mom able to stay in touch with your father?

LI: Yes, I think they got censored mail. I have one, just an envelope, but I never found the letters that came, 'cause they were all censored, they were all cut out. It wasn't just an eraser or pen or anything.

TI: And earlier you'd mentioned he was at Missoula, Montana. Did he stay in Missoula, or did he go elsewhere?

LI: (He also went to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Crystal City Texas). No. There's a letter that... not a letter, but...

TI: An envelope?

LI: My grandson, who is (fifteen), asked me a lot of questions, because that came up in his school, and I was supposed to let him know what had happened. And on that, I have Fort Leavenworth and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, something New Mexico, and then Crystal Springs, Texas.

TI: Crystal City, Texas.

LI: Yes, Crystal City. Is that where your dad was?

TI: No, my dad never, he was a Nisei, so he didn't...

LI: Oh, of course. He was about fifteen...

TI: But it sounds like your father went to quite a few different camps.

LI: Yes, I don't know why or how. As a matter of fact, when he was in Texas, I don't know how my mother knew that we were going to meet him in Texas. Well, in the meantime, he came back to Minidoka, and I don't know how that happened.

TI: Oh, interesting. So at one point you were thinking that you and your mother would go to Crystal City.

LI: Yes. We were almost ready to go down there, and all of a sudden he was back, so I don't know why or how.

TI: So let's talk about him coming back. When you first saw your father, what were your impressions? Had he changed?

LI: His face hadn't changed, but his hair was all white. And he was still the same dad as far as I know. And he was teaching a little bit of carpentry, I don't know where he got the expertise or whatever it was, and he taught maybe the eighth graders in camp. Not for long, because I've forgotten what month he came back to us. But I think it was in '45 before we came back to Portland.

[Interruption]

TI: But I was going to ask, oh, in terms of your father, so I'm curious, did he do any judo at Minidoka?

LI: I don't think so. I don't think he did any of it. He was all tuckered out as far as... he was tired a lot of times when he would come home from the school where he was teaching carpentry or something.

TI: So do you think he was more tired after the FBI had picked him up and he'd been in all these internment camps?

LI: Oh, yes. I don't know what they did in camps like that, because maybe my mother knew a little bit more, but I sure didn't know.

TI: Now did your father ever talk about the other camps and what it was like?

LI: No, he never did. And I really don't remember anything about that, unless my mother had learned more about it through the letters. But I'm sure I read a few of the letters, but it doesn't really come to me right now.

TI: Now you talked about your living quarters being pretty small, and now your father joins you. Did they move you to a different place?

LI: I think we had another cot, because we were in 34-12-G in Minidoka. But, no, he lived right there with us. There was one small apartment next to us, and ours, and then the rest were fairly large. And I suppose Cannon's family was there, too. I think his father was taken.

TI: Yeah, Cannon's father joined them right before they went to the assembly center. So he was only, his father was only taken for maybe four months, so it wasn't as long as yours.

LI: Is that right? He didn't go to all the other camps.

TI: No, so he just went to Missoula, probably maybe with your father, then was released.

LI: Yeah, I didn't know his family at all before we met in camp.

TI: But I'm curious, for you, how did the life change now that your father's here? Did things change for you in terms of your life?

LI: I was very excited that he was there, and I was very happy. He didn't do a whole lot of things when he came home. He was working somewhere else... no, no, he was always with the carpentry thing. But he was his old self, except that I remember he was awfully, awfully tired. Other than that, I don't really remember.

TI: So it sounds like your life didn't change that much. You still probably ate with your friends.

LI: Yes, right, uh-huh. I don't even know if he made any money teaching for sure.

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2013 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.