8937 items
8937 items
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Yoshimitsu Suyematsu Interview (ddr-one-7-66)
Nisei male. Born May 30, 1927, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Grew up on Bainbridge, where parents ran a strawberry farm. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California, then transferred to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, returned to Bainbridge for a time and then volunteered for the military, serving in …
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Kenji Onishi Interview (ddr-one-7-62)
Nisei male. Born April 24, 1927, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in the Portland area, where father worked for the railroad. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, served in the military and eventually returned to Portland and became a teacher.
(This material …
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Mas Takano Interview (ddr-ajah-1-5)
Nisei male. Born June 15, 1932, in Alameda, California. Grew up in Alameda, where father was a gardener. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, moved to Cortez, California, for a few months before being removed to the Merced Assembly Center, California, and the Amache concentration camp, Colorado. After leaving camp, returned to California. Drafted into the …
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Sam Araki Interview II (ddr-densho-1000-437)
Nisei male. Born July 12, 1931, in Saratoga, California. Grew up in Saratoga, where father worked as a gardener on a large estate. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, father moved the family inland to Reedley in an attempt to avoid mass removal. Eventually removed to Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, returned to California …
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PJ Hirabayashi Interview (ddr-densho-1000-314)
Sansei female. Born May 18, 1950, in San Rafael, California. Grew up in San Rafael, eventually attending California State University, Hayward, and University of California, Berkeley. Earned a master's degree from San Jose State University. Involved in civil rights and Asian American issues while in school. Along with husband, Roy Hirabayashi, founded San Jose Taiko.
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Misa Taketa Interview (ddr-densho-1000-436)
Nisei female. Born January 18, 1925, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in the South Park area, south of Seattle, where parents ran a farm. During World War II, removed to the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, lived and worked in Ontario, Oregon, for a time, before living …
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Eiichi Yamashita Interview II (ddr-densho-1000-424)
Nisei male. Born January 27, 1923, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, Washington. Finished high school in Bellingham, Washington, where family moved for father's oyster business. During World War II, removed to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Left camp and lived in Chicago briefly before returning to the Samish Bay area near Bellingham to …
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Kazuko Iwahashi Interview (ddr-densho-1000-337)
Nisei female. Born December 16, 1929, in Berkeley, California. Grew up in Berkeley where parents operated a nursery business. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was removed with family to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. After leaving camp, returned to Berkeley, working as a schoolgirl for a white woman while …
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Amy Uyematsu Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-523)
Sansei female. Born in 1947 in Pasadena, California. Parents were incarcerated at the Manzanar concentration camp, California, and Gila River concentration camp, Arizona, during World War II. Graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a mathematics degree. Taught math for more than thirty years in the Los Angeles Unified Schools. Began publishing poetry …
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Amy Uyematsu Interview II (ddr-densho-1000-524)
Sansei female. Born in 1947 in Pasadena, California. Parents were incarcerated at the Manzanar concentration camp, California, and Gila River concentration camp, Arizona, during World War II. Graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a mathematics degree. Taught math for more than thirty years in the Los Angeles Unified Schools. Began publishing poetry …
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Satoru Ichikawa Interview (ddr-densho-1000-236)
Nisei male. Born November 2, 1929, in Fresno, California. Moved with family at a young age to Seattle, Washington, where father was the minister of the Seattle Buddhist Temple. Father was arrested by the FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and removed to various Department of Justice internment camps. The rest of the family was …
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Bill Hosokawa Interview (ddr-densho-1000-129)
Nisei male. Born in Seattle on January 30, 1915, and attended Washington grade school, Garfield High School and the University of Washington. He grew up as a typical Nisei, working summers in Alaska salmon canneries and Western Avenue produce brokerages to pay for his education. He became interested in writing at Garfield where he was sports …
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Gene Akutsu Interview II (ddr-densho-1000-210)
Nisei male. Born 1925 in Seattle, Washington. Spent prewar childhood in Seattle's Nihonmachi. Incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Refused to participate in draft, imprisoned at McNeil Island Penitentiary, Washington, for resisting the draft. Resettled in Seattle.
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Shig Yabu Interview (ddr-densho-1000-272)
Nisei male. Born June 13, 1932, in San Francisco, California. During World War II, removed to the Pomona Assembly Center, California, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. While in camp, found an injured magpie bird, named it Maggie, and adopted it as a pet. Following the war, wrote a children's book, Hello, Maggie! and became …
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Art Hansen Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-295)
White male. Born October 10, 1938, in Hoboken, New Jersey. Education History: BA, MA, Ph.D. at University of California, Santa Barbara. Work History: Professor of History and Asian American Studies, California State University, Fullerton (1966-Present); Visiting Professor, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1979-1980; Editor, Oral History Review, 1980-1987; President, Southwest Oral History Association (1991-1992); …
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Wakako Yamauchi Interview (ddr-densho-1000-253)
Nisei female. Born October 23, 1924, in Westmorland, California. Grew up in the Imperial Valley before being removed with family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona, during World War II. After leaving camp, attended art school in San Diego before marrying and moving to Los Angeles. Published short story And the Soul Shall Dance, which …
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Eiichi Yamashita Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-423)
Nisei male. Born January 27, 1923, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, Washington. Finished high school in Bellingham, Washington, where family moved for father's oyster business. During World War II, removed to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Left camp and lived in Chicago briefly before returning to the Samish Bay area near Bellingham to …
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Kazue Yamamoto Interview (ddr-densho-1000-197)
Nisei female. Born January 14, 1927, in Wapato, Washington, where family operated a truck farm. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to North Portland Assembly Center and Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. Family left camp in 1945 for Spokane, Washington. Worked as a domestic on Spokane's South Hill before becoming a licensed beautician. Married husband …
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Orest Kruhlak Interview (ddr-densho-1000-296)
Male of Ukrainian descent. Born October 15, 1940, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, and then earned a PhD at the University of Alberta. Worked to establish a research program in the Office of the Commissioner to examine issues of official languages in Canada. In 1986, appointed as Assistant Under-Secretary of …
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Roger Daniels Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-414)
Caucasian male. Born December 1, 1927, in New York City, New York. Charles Phelps Taft Professor Emeritus of History, University of Cincinnati. Served as a consultant to the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians from 1981 to 1983. Has researched and written numerous books about the Japanese American experience, including Prisoners Without Trial: Japanese …
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Mary Hamano Interview (ddr-densho-1000-215)
Nisei female. Born July 14, 1921, in San Gabriel, California. Spent childhood in Los Angeles where father operated a shoe repair business and grocery store. Family was removed to Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and Amache concentration camp, Colorado. Resettled in Denver after the war and worked in several businesses in Japantown. Married in 1947 and …
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Cookie Takeshita Interview (ddr-densho-1000-465)
Nisei female. Born April 1, 1929, in Alameda, California. Grew up in Alameda, where father ran a gardening business. During World War II, family was ordered to leave Alameda and moved to Cortez, California, before being sent to the Merced Assembly Center, California, and the Amache concentration camp, Colorado. Left camp to attend school in Cleveland, …
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Kay Matsuoka Interview (ddr-densho-1000-48)
Nisei female. Born April 17, 1917, in Moneta, California. Grew up working on family's strawberry farm. Attended Japanese language school where she learned Japanese dancing and singing. Was popular and excelled in high school, but was prevented by the Parent Teacher Association from giving the commencement address because of her ethnicity. Attended dress design school, and …
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Mits Takahashi Interview (ddr-densho-1000-207)
Nisei male. Born October 22, 1924, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, where father was a prominent member of the Japanese Gardeners Association. During World War II, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Drafted into the army, and served in Italy with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Received …
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Tosh Yasutake Interview (ddr-densho-1000-138)
Nisei male. Born June 10, 1922, in Seattle, WA. Father was employed by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service as interpreter for twenty years, until he was separated from family on December 7, 1941, and interned as an enemy alien. Graduated 1941, Cleveland High School, and attended University of Washington before being removed from Seattle with …