Densho Digital Archive - Ruth Sasaki Interview (denshovh-sruth-01-0015)

<Begin Segment 15>

TI: So like Twin Falls or anything like that, did you ever visit Twin Falls?

RS: Uh-uh. So that's where, that's where when we worked on the farm, see, that's where they took us if you wanted to go shopping. See, they would take us.

TI: Oh, so for your food and things like that?

RS: Yeah, whatever we wanted to do.

TI: So when the group went to Twin Falls, what was that like for you?

RS: It was nice. Nobody looked at us weird, you know what I mean, because of the war. They didn't... we were happy. If they did, we didn't hear it.

TI: How about did you have time to do anything like go see a movie?

RS: Oh, we get those movies in camp.

TI: So tell me about that.

RS: I think every block, I can't remember whether every block had the movie. So we did get to see movies. And then they have this one, each block had a side building, like a hallway, but it's a building. And that's where they have dances. So there were a lot of things for everyone, and then they had sports, baseball, because I remember my brother playing baseball. And then we would play with the towns outside, near like Jerome High School, or Twin Falls High School, they would come.

TI: And would you go watch those games?

RS: Yeah, 'cause I would go watch my brother.

TI: And was he a pretty good baseball player?

RS: Yeah, even though he was, when he was growing up. [Laughs]

TI: Earlier you mentioned that they had this building that was used for dances. Did you go to these dances?

RS: No, because at that time we weren't, us girls, we weren't interested in that. We'd rather just hang out.

TI: Any other activities that you were involved in in Minidoka?

RS: Oh, I played a little bit of softball, and that's about it.

TI: And how about your mother? Did she have a job when she was at Minidoka?

RS: You know, I can't remember, unless she volunteers. I think she probably volunteered in the kitchen just to keep busy. But my dad got paid for driving the truck, just not very much.

TI: So overall, it sounds like the Minidoka experience was pretty positive for you. You had friends, and it wasn't very stressful or anything like that, that things were pretty good.

RS: Uh-uh.