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JK: Okay, Sumi, you've been telling us a little bit about internment camp, what life was like. Can you tell us a little bit more about your life in camp? Was it difficult, or were there anything, was there anything enjoyable about being in camp?

SI: No, I have no sweet dreams about camp. Every day you did what you had to do, and like my job, well, mealtime, breakfast, go over there and come back, then I did the laundry for the family and take the dirty clothes over to the laundry room and wash on the washboard. And I don't recall ever ironing anything, but all the dirty work I did. And my mother-in-law lived with us, but she loved to visit. So she would take Pat, baby at the time, and put her on her back and walk clear up to Block 4. We were in 34 and she would walk up to 4. The hospital was up there, but she had a friend from Seattle, Mrs. Yasutake, she would go up to visit her with our daughter on her back.

JK: And so you were left to do the chores...

SI: Uh-huh, yeah.

JK: ...of keeping up your...

SI: But I didn't think of it having to do, because I was doing it all the time anyway.

JK: And how about your husband? What was his daily routine like?

SI: Well, he worked for the fire station. So when I got up, he was long gone. He didn't even go to the mess hall with us, he must have eaten over there.

JK: Maybe they made a better meal at the fire station.

SI: Maybe. And when he was, then when I was at Ikoi no Kai one day, Frank Nakata came over to me, and I recognized his face but I did not know him, I just knew he was a nice man. He came over and he says, "Hey, you know, when we were in camp, your husband and I were on the same team, fire station." And I said, "Oh?" And then he told me, said what a nice man my husband was, and he says, "All the other fellows in their spare time would be playing poker or doing something," you know, but my husband would be off to the side and reading a book. He was a serious person.

JK: He enjoyed reading. Were you able to do any activities that...

SI: Yes, I was. I was able to do one activity that they told us that there was going to be a sewing class. And I knew there was lots to learn about sewing, I had the sewing machine, so I went and this lady, her name was Kojima, I think, and she was from Seattle, she volunteered to teach, and she told us how to make a pattern and how to alter a pattern. And I thought, "Oh, this is good, I can make my mother-in-law a dress." I tried to please her, you know, and I was going to make her a good dress out of black material. And so she, her back was humped like that, you know, she was old, so she told us how to straighten that. If you have this pattern like this, if it's straight, it's not going to fit her. So you take your pattern and cut it right here and open it up so that it makes more room here. And so I did that, and then after I got my pattern made, I ordered the fabric from Salem, from Miller's department store, and got some nice black material, kind of crepe-like, and I made her a dress. And it fit her just right and she loved that dress. For every special occasion she wore that dress, and in my room, there's a picture of her wearing that dress.

JK: Do you still have the dress?

SI: No, no, we don't have the dress. But every special occasion she wore that, she loved it.

JK: Isn't that nice that she enjoyed something that you made that fit perfectly?

SI: Yeah. I tried to please her, and I finally pleased her.

JK: Was it hard trying to please your mother-in-law and living with your mother-in-law? Was she difficult?

SI: She was difficult, yes.

JK: Was she critical?

SI: Yeah, critical, and I can't... I think I tried to block that out of my mind, 'cause I can't remember. But I remember I did not love her, but I liked my father-in-law, he was nice.

JK: He was good to you. When was your son Ron born? Was he born in camp?

SI: He was born in camp. Pat was already born, and she was walking a little bit when we got in. And then she was, Ron was born. And I remember having a very easy delivery with him. And then after he was born, I had my sewing machine, and I had fabric that my mother, I would go to my mother's place and ask her if she had any old clothes that I could tear apart, use the fabric to make pants for him.

JK: So your parents were also at Minidoka, or did they have to go somewhere first and then come?

SI: They went to Tule Lake first, and but then my father had a stroke while they were down there. And my sisters and my mother requested that they come to Minidoka so they could be near me, so that our whole family would be together. And they got their wish, and they were in Block... I think it was 37.

JK: Was that close to you?

SI: Yeah, it was close enough, because my mother used to walk from there to our mess kitchen to wash dishes.

JK: So that was helpful to have your sisters and mother close by?

SI: They didn't ever come to visit. My mother-in-law was not, she was not too cool. So, I mean, if she were nice, they would be encouraged to come, but she encouraged them not to come.

JK: So if you wanted to see your sisters and mother you would have to take the children...

SI: I would see my mother in the mess hall.

JK: Were there other things that you remembered about camp that, even though they weren't pleasant memories, made it hard for you?

SI: Well, I remember that we used to have dust storms, and everyone was told that if the wind started blowing a little hard, you better rush home and close your windows, or just be covered with dust.

JK: Were you able to make friends in camp, people you didn't know before, meet new friends?

SI: Not new friends, but people that I knew slightly before. The Nakashimadas I knew from before, and they lived right behind us. And then Mrs. Henjoji, she had a bunch of kids, and we were at this end of our barrack and she was down at that end of the barrack behind us. And she wanted to go to sewing class, and she was very independent. She'd leave her kids locked in their room, and go to class. And one of the mother said that, "Oh, that's terrible," so she offered to take care of the kids. "Don't lock your kids in the house."

JK: So you were able to get to know people better, so that might have been one of the more pleasant things that happened at camp for you.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2014 Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Densho. All Rights Reserved.