Mitsu Fukui
Nisei female. Born September 21, 1911, in Seattle, Washington. Had a younger sister and three younger brothers. Father, Riichiro Fukano, employed by Oriental Trading Company as a bookkeeper in Seattle, before operating a dry cleaning business. Mother, Kiyono (Miyama) Fukano, a seamstress. Learned dressmaking from mother, and helped in the shop. Family lived upstairs above the shop, in a neighborhood with few Japanese American families. Paternal grandfather and grandmother joined the household and lived with them for eleven years before returning to Japan. Father served many years as secretary of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. Mother served as president of Buddhist Women's Association. Graduated from Lincoln High School in 1930, attended University of Washington one year, and attended school in Japan one year. While living in Fukuoka Ken, served as interpreter for Charles Lindbergh, Yasha Heifetz, and other notable visitors. Married William Owari Fukui, an Issei, in 1936. Husband also in dry cleaning business. Son born 1939. Moved back to parents' house, along with her husband and son, in order to be together with her mother and brothers, when incarcerated in Puyallup Assembly Center in May, 1942. Father had been picked up earlier by FBI, after December 7, 1941, detained and interned separately. Incarcerated in Minidoka concentration camp. Son attended nursery school in Minidoka while she and husband worked. Released on indefinite leave in 1944 with husband and son, to relocate in Detroit, MI. Car vandalized and burglarized in Minidoka camp, during their drive back to Seattle in 1945. Protested lack of assistance from Minidoka concentration camp staff. With husband, started another dry cleaning business in Seattle, overcoming discrimination in financing. Retired from dry cleaning business. Did volunteer work for Children's Hospital in Seattle for over 30 years and provided home care for two and a half years for her husband who suffered from a severe stroke. After his death, she provided volunteer services at Seattle Keiro for six and a half years.
Interviews
03:11:34 — 42 segments.