<Begin Segment 18>

BH: Looking back, how did you balance being of Japanese descent while growing up in America?

DH: I don't know. I didn't feel that different except in applying for a job or something like that, when it comes up. But other than that, I got along well with them.

BH: Now how do you think -- go ahead.

DH: Well, a lot of friends we met, they were always with us. Like one couple that used to live right down the street, he was always talking about Japanese people. Because he was in prison in Korea, he fought in two different wars. He was always talking about his Japanese friend that he knew when he was in high school, and he met him in the prison camp. So he went and passed chocolate and things to him in the prison camp, and he was a Japanese guy that was in the prison camp.

BH: How do you think their wartime experiences affected your parents?

DH: Wartime experiences affecting my parents? Well, like my mother was, it was, I think it helped her, because she didn't have to go through worrying about all our kids and so on, because in camp, you know, you get fed, surviving without no problem, because they're always there at that time. After camp she did okay, because my two young brothers was there and was going through high school.

BH: You mentioned when she first came here, she felt isolated living on the farm, and then was able to...

DH: Oh, yeah, when she first came, she was so lonely, and because they didn't have any electricity, just a little old lamp, candle burning, and nobody there because it was a farm and Dad was still working out, she said she wanted to go back to Japan. [Laughs] That's the way then, but later on she was carrying her son, so she managed to do well after that.

BH: The camps over the years have been referred to by different names, relocation camp, internment camp, lately incarceration camp. How do you feel about these terms?

DH: Well, some of it isn't that bad sounding. I don't mind just saying "relocation camp." I can't think of being incarcerated, because I wasn't. I got to go out and do my things, so it didn't bother me.

BH: How do you think your life has changed because of the war?

DH: Well, life changed because after I graduated from high school, I don't think parents had enough money to send me to college, even if I made it. Whereas working, and the service, and the opportunity to go to school, which made me, I think the war helped me because of that. Otherwise I'd probably have been a farmer or something. Which is nothing wrong to being farmer, because my brother did so well. [Laughs]

BH: There are efforts now and in the recent past to educate more people about camp experiences, including the establishment of the Japanese American Historical Plaza along the waterfront, and the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center. If your parents were around today, how do you think they'd feel about these efforts to educate people about the war?

DH: I think Dad would be really proud to hear about all the different things being, happened to the young Japanese people. Well, young like my age young. But Sanseis and Yonseis, I don't think it makes too much difference, because they hadn't had a chance to go through things like what we went through.

BH: So what can we learn about what happened to Japanese Americans during World War II, the Isseis and the Sanseis -- Isseis and Niseis?

DH: Well, I'm not sure if it helped any, any differently than if we didn't go, or didn't have the war. But I enjoyed... either way I think I would have been okay, except I probably wouldn't have gotten a college education, though, that's different there. But if I did go to war, maybe I would have. So I'm not sure.

BH: When 9/11/2001 happened, some people were making parallels between what happened to Japanese Americans in World War II to what might happen to Muslim Americans and Arab Americans. Do you want to comment on that?

DH: Well, actually, there isn't too much different between Pearl Harbor and 9/11. The scare, and the people getting behind, government-wise. For the individuals, Japanese, Muslims and those people suffered because of... even though they're American, they were treated differently because of their heritage. It's not right. But it got by.

BH: So what are your hopes for your grandchildren and future generations?

DH: I hope these... I keep telling her I'm still waiting. [Laughs] Hope she gets married and have a family. Hope they do well.

BH: You've had a life of a lot of ups and some downs. Some good things have happened, there have been some difficult times. What's important in life?

DH: Well, mostly how successful you are, how well you're doing family-wise, and your kids are doing well. I think it's very important, we go through these different periods, keep us going.

BH: I've asked you a lot of questions in the course of this interview. From the time you were born to looking ahead to your grandchildren's generation. Are there any questions that I didn't ask, or anything that you'd like to add to anything you've said?

DH: I can't remember. [Laughs] No, I think we had enough of this.

BH: Okay. Thank you very much, Dan.

DH: You're welcome. I can't remember too much anymore.

BH: I think you've done an outstanding job of telling your story, and I thank you.

DH: Thank you.

<End Segment 18> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.