Densho Digital Archive - Frances Sumida Palk Interview (denshovh-pfrances-01-0010)

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TM: Going back to camp and that time period, on your father's side, your grandparents, where were they?

FP: Grandpa was gone, he died in 1918.

TM: On that side.

FP: Right, right. And Grandma was struggling to raise three boys all by herself.

TM: I'm sorry, my mistake. Scratch that. On your mother's side, your grandparents up, outside of Seattle, where were they during...

FP: During camp years? They were in camp with us. Now, the only people in our area that didn't go to camp with us were the "no-no" men, the ones that would not sign the paper saying, "Oh, I'm willing to serve for my country, and I'm willing to abandon whatever ties there are to Japan." And it was important that they signed that paper, because if they did not, or if they checked "no" on there, then they were considered "no-no" men. And it's kind of hush-hush, but if you were a "no-no" person, but, you know, young people choose to live out what they believe, and so there were some "no-no" men that were shipped to Tule Lake. And the early seizures of our people, like not Uwajimaya, but Anzen, who were leaders in our community, they were shipped off, separated right away, immediately, probably around late December or January they were shipped off to Tule Lake, and it was difficult because the families were often split up. And (the Anzen, Matsushima), Dad was in Tule Lake and the rest of (the family) were in Minidoka, right. So that was a difficult time (for the Matsushima family).

TM: Your father was in Tule Lake?

FP: No. My dad was at Anderson Dam.

TM: You said, "Dad was at Tule Lake." Who was at Tule Lake?

FP: Oh, oh. Anzen's dad, Matsushima. Mr. Matsushima, I know, when there, okay. And then there were some other leaders that (eventually became) old and gray, and leaders in the community. And I'm thinking up in Hood River, (many Americans) had a lot of animosity and discrimination, (toward) some of their (Japanese) leaders that helped them build their (Mt. Hood) community, (the Japanese there also) got shipped off (to Tule Lake). There's a wonderful book called Stubborn Twig, and it describes (the Japanese experience).