8937 items
8937 items
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Hank Shozo Umemoto Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-294)
Nisei male. Born October 12, 1928, in Florin, California, a small community outside of Sacramento, California. Lost father at an early age, and was raised primarily by older brother. During World War II, removed with family to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. While in camp, snuck out of camp to spend time in the surrounding hillside. …
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Lucius Horiuchi Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-202)
Nisei male. Born July 22, 1928, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle before being removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Following World War II, worked for the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer.
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Henry Miyatake Interview VI (ddr-densho-1000-58)
Nisei male. Born April 28, 1929, in Seattle, Washington. Incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Had some key childhood experiences with discrimination that made him a self-described, "independent thinker," and later, an influential figure in the Japanese American community. While a teenager in camp, he wrote and defended an essay criticizing the …
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Roy Ebihara Interview (ddr-densho-1000-222)
Nisei male. Born January 11, 1934, in Clovis, New Mexico, where father worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. On January 19, 1942, officials rounded up all of the Japanese Americans in Clovis and removed them from the town without warning in the middle of the night in response to an angry mob of townspeople who were …
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Toshikazu "Tosh" Okamoto II (ddr-densho-1000-248)
Nisei male. Born October 8, 1926, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Renton, Washington, where father operated a farm. During World War II, was removed to the Pinedale Assembly Center and Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Briefly transferred to the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. Drafted into the army and served in Italy as a replacement …
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Frank Muramatsu Interview (ddr-densho-1000-431)
Nisei male. Born May 29, 1926, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in the Portland area, where parents ran a farm. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp to attend college in Des Moines, Iowa, and was drafted into the military. After military service, finished …
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Kaz T. Tanemura Interview (ddr-densho-1000-268)
Male, Issei-han. Born April 27, 1928, in Japan. As an infant, came to the U.S. where parents had previously immigrated. Family ran a hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After the war, returned to Seattle, finished high …
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Dorothy Michiko Ishimatsu Interview (ddr-densho-1000-398)
Nisei female. Born June 17, 1927, in Mayfield, California. Grew up in the Mountain View area, where family ran a berry farm. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, family decided to move to Utah to avoid mass removal. Attended high school in Utah before returning to California to enroll in San Jose State University. Remained in San …
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John Tateishi Interview (ddr-densho-1000-469)
Nisei male. Born August 21,1939, in Lawndale, California. Served as National Redress Director of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), and was involved in the movement to obtain redress and reparations for Japanese Americans. Founded Tateishi/Shinoda and Associates, a management and public affairs consulting firm. In 1999, became the National Executive Director of the JACL.
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Betty Tanakatsubo Interview (ddr-densho-1000-343)
Nisei female. Born June 15, 1925, in Sacramento, California. During World War II, removed to the Sacramento Assembly Center, California, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Transferred to the Granada (Amache) concentration camp, Colorado. Left camp for Cleveland, Ohio, and worked for the War Relocation Authority. Eventually settled in Chicago, Illinois.
(This material is based …
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Donald K. Tamaki Interview (ddr-densho-1000-234)
Sansei male. Born May 26, 1951, in Oakland, California. Received law degree from UC Berkeley. In the 1980s, served as a member of the pro bono legal team for Korematsu v. United States, a lawsuit to overturn a 40 year old conviction for refusal to obey exclusion orders aimed at Japanese Americans during World War …
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Flora Ninomiya Interview (ddr-densho-1000-473)
Nisei female. Born April 8, 1935, in Richmond, California. Grew up in Richmond, where grandfather established a flower nursery business. During World War II, removed to the Amache concentration camp, Colorado. Returned to Richmond and resumed the family business after the war.
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Kazuko Uno Bill Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-211)
Nisei female. Born June 5, 1921, in Seattle, Washington. Raised in South Park, Washington where family operated a small produce farm. Attended Cleveland High School and the University of Washington. Was in senior year of college on December 7, 1941. Father picked up by FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and sent to Missoula internment …
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Joe Ishikawa Interview (ddr-densho-1000-205)
Nisei male. Born July 29, 1919, in Los Angeles, California. Went to live in Japan as a college student, returning just prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Granada concentration camp, Colorado, before leaving to attend the University of Nebraska. Worked as a curator in the …
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Jimmie S. Matsuda Interview (ddr-densho-1000-311)
Nisei male. Born June 16, 1927, in Hood River, Oregon. Grew up in Hood River, where parents ran a farm. At the age of thirteen, went to Japan with family for a vacation and ended up staying there. Attended school in Japan and then was trained in the Japanese air force as a kamikaze pilot. Instead …
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David Sakura Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-498)
Sansei male. Born March 28, 1936, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Eatonville, Washington, where father worked for a lumber company. During World War II, removed with family to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Father served in the U.S. Army during the war. After leaving camp, lived in public housing …
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Frank H. Hirata Interview (ddr-densho-1000-271)
Kibei-Nisei male. Born November 19, 1925, in Spokane, Washington. At the age of ten, went to Japan with grandfather. During World War II, was conscripted into the Japanese army, and was still in training when the war ended. After the war, continued education, graduating from Kyoto University with a law degree. Got married in 1957 and …
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Kay Uno Kaneko Interview (ddr-densho-1000-282)
Nisei female. Born October 7, 1932, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles, age nine when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. During World War II, removed with family to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Granada (Amache) concentration camp, Colorado. Transferred to the Crystal City internment camp, Texas, so family could …
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Miyoko Kaneta Interview (ddr-densho-1000-449)
Nisei female. Born December 16, 1926, in El Centro, California. Grew up in various places in California, where parents owned a barbershop. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed with her family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, resettled in Hazelton, Idaho, and Oakland, California, before moving to Seattle, Washington. After the war, …
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Tsuguo "Ike" Ikeda Interview II (ddr-densho-1000-124)
Nisei male. Born August 15, 1924, in Portland, Oregon. Incarcerated at the North Portland Assembly Center and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Kept a diary beginning December, 1941, and through incarceration. Beginning as a teenager, was exceptionally active as a volunteer leader, first within a Japanese American church in Portland, later in camp with Federated Christian Church, …
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May Ohmura Watanabe Interview (ddr-densho-1000-454)
Nisei female. Born May 13, 1922, in Chico, California. Grew up in Chico, where parents ran a produce store. Was in college when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and was removed with her family to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Left camp to attend school in Syracuse, New York, and become a public health nurse. Later …
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Larry "Shorty" Kazumura Interview (ddr-densho-1000-199)
Nisei male. Born November 7, 1920, in Mountain View, Hawaii. Grew up in Hawaii, where parents ran a sugar cane plantation. Was working hauling lumber when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Was not dismissed from work like other Japanese Americans, and was required to clean up the aftermath of the bombing. Volunteered for …
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Archie Miyatake Interview (ddr-densho-1000-299)
Nisei male. Born November 6, 1924, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles, where father, renowned photographer Toyo Miyatake, established a photo studio. During World War II, was removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. In camp, father became the camp's photographer. After the war, Archie Miyatake returned to Los Angeles and eventually took …
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Grace F. Oshita Interview (ddr-densho-1013-4)
Nisei female. Born January 2, 1925, in San Francisco, California. Spent childhood in San Francisco where family operated successful miso factory and grocery store. Father arrested by FBI in February 1942 and sent to Fort Lincoln internment camp, North Dakota. Family removed to Tanforan Assembly Center and Topaz concentration camp, Utah. Graduated from Topaz High School …
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Helen Harano Christ Interview (ddr-densho-1013-6)
Sansei female. Born August 26, 1934, in Berkeley, California. Removed to Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and Topaz concentration camp, Utah. Family resettled in North Platte, Nebraska, where father operated a flower shop. Received undergraduate degree in education and sociology from Hastings College in Nebraska. Attended McCormick Seminary in Illinois. Married husband Frank Christ in 1959. Worked …