<Begin Segment 16>

TI: While you were at Minidoka... earlier this morning I interviewed Cannon. And when you came in, I noticed that you had a drawing from Cannon of the camp, and it's a pretty elaborate drawing.

LI: Oh, yes. He was, even at that young age, he was an excellent artist. And I think when he went to college (to continue his education in art).

TI: But why did he give it to you?

LI: I don't know. He was just a friend that lived in the same block. He was not my boyfriend. [Laughs]

TI: But it was such a beautiful drawing.

LI: Yes, it was just beautiful, I always kept it. It's still around somewhere.

TI: Yeah, we have it. I was just curious.

LI: I'm going to frame it sometime.

TI: You should; it's beautiful. And so I was curious if there was any kind of interest between you and Cannon.

LI: He might have had a girlfriend, and I had my boyfriend.

TI: So let's... any other stories or any other memories from Minidoka?

LI: Oh, on Christmas, during the Christmas season, we used to go from camp... dining room to dining room.

TI: So block to block?

LI: Block to block, and they had some really nice decorations, I don't know where they got them. But they were very cleverly done. It was not only Christmas trees, but all kinds of different (decorations). I think they must have had some kind of... what do I want to say? They had a contest. And so one block would win, I don't know if they got anything or not. And then also they had, say, like odori and singing, and I remember going from one block to another. Not all of them, but maybe half a dozen, and performing for, because my mother had me (learn) odori from the time (since) I was about six years old, and so I took it all the way through. And my teacher went to Chicago. Those people that had a little more money were able to go elsewhere. But there was another teacher there, and my mother had me continue with it, so this teacher would bring several of us to perform at various places. And I guess, I don't know where my mother got the kimonos and all, because they were not the most important things to get to camp. I don't know where she had it.

TI: Maybe they were stored at your place and your German grandfather shipped them to the camp? Sometimes people shipped things later.

LI: Gee, I don't remember that.

TI: Something like that.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2013 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.