Nisei female. Born 1922 in Fresno, California, where parents owned a tofu shop. Mother passed away prior to World War II giving birth to twin girls. Married prior to the war. Removed to the Fresno Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. After leaving camp, returned to Fresno.
This interview is with two Sansei women and focuses on their experiences growing up and learning about their Nisei parents' wartime incarceration experiences.
(This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.
This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of …
Nisei female. Born December 1, 1935, in Seattle, Washington. During World War II, removed with family to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, resettled in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Spent many years raising a family and teaching in Japan before eventually returning to Minnesota.
White male. Grew up in Pasadena, California, where parents had a flower growing business. Provided flowers for the Santa Anita racetrack for over fifty years. During World War II, visited Japanese American friends at the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Gila River concentration camp, Arizona.
Nisei female. Born February 4, 1915, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Portland before being sent to be educated in Japan at age sixteen. Married and had children in Japan, working for the military government after World War II. Returned to Portland in the 1950s with family.
Nisei male. Born June 23, 1921. Grew up in Portland, Oregon. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, received a permit to remain in Portland during mass removal to translate for father in the hospital. Rejoined family and went to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, returned to Portland.
Nisei female. Born September 18, 1926, in South Pasadena, California. Grew up in Los Angeles, California. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. Attended college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after leaving camp. Eventually married and moved to Portland, Oregon.
Nisei female. Born March 8, 1930, in Brooks, Oregon. Grew up in Brooks, where parents ran a farm. During World War II, removed to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California, and transferred to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After the war, returned to Oregon and remained in Portland.
Nisei female. Born April 14, 1922, in Yakima, Washington, and grew up in Central Washington state. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. Left camp to attend college in Kansas and North Carolina. Eventually returned to the West Coast.
Nisei female. Born January 25, 1915, in Montavilla, Oregon. Grew up in Portland and attended college before World War II. During the war, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp with husband and lived in New York and Washington, D.C. Eventually returned to Portland.
Nisei female. Born May 24, 1923, in Carlisle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, Washington, where parents ran a hotel. During World War II, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, lived for a time in Chicago, Illinois, before returning to Oregon.
Nisei female. Born January 4, 1919, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Fairview, Oregon, where family ran a farm. Married and had a child before World War II. During the war, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, returned to Fairview.
Nisei male. Born 1923 in Gresham, Oregon. Grew up in the Gresham/Troutdale area where parents ran a farm. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, attended college briefly in Utah before returning home to Gresham.
Nisei female. Born August 3, 1920, in Portland, Oregon. Lost father at an early age, and mother and siblings set up a family farm and greenhouse business. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, returned to Oregon.
Nisei male. Born January 27, 1927, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Portland where parents ran a hotel business. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, attended college in Cleveland, Ohio, before eventually returning to Portland.
Nisei female. Born July 2, 1918, in Emmett, Idaho. Grew up in Idaho before family moved to Eastern Oregon while Alice was still in high school. Married a Nisei man who served in the Military Intelligence Service, and lived in Ontario, Oregon, after World War II.
(This material is based upon work assisted by a grant …
Nisei male. Born November 24, 1928, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Portland, where parents ran a hotel. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, joined the military and served in Japan. Eventually returned to Portland.
Nisei male. Born in Galt, California. Grew up in Hollister, California. During World War II, removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Drafted into the military and served with the Counterintelligence Corps in Japan during the U.S. occupation. After service, joined family in Ontario, Oregon.
Nisei female. Born November 16, 1923, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Portland, where parents ran a hotel business. During World War II, was removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp to attend college in Ohio, and eventually returned to Portland.
Yonsei female. Born August 23, 1991, in Chicago, Illinois. Grew up in Chicago, where her parents and their families resettled after World War II. Involved in various Chicago community groups, including participating in the Kansha project, a JACL program for young Japanese Americans in Chicago to learn about the wartime incarceration.
(This material is based upon …
Nisei male. Born June 2, 1942, in Lima, Peru. Parents had originally immigrated to Peru from Okinawa, Japan. During World War II, removed with family to Crystal City internment camp, Texas. After leaving Crystal City, moved to Kauai, Hawaii. Established a successful career as an architect.
(This material is based upon work assisted by a grant …
Nisei female. Born August 18, 1933, in La Jolla, California. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome and Rohwer concentration camps, Arkansas. After leaving camp, moved to Chicago, Illinois. Eventually became involved with the Chicago Nisei Athletic Association (CNAA).
Nisei male. Born August 4, 1929, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles where parents ran a nursery business. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Granada concentration camp, Colorado. After leaving camp, lived briefly in Illinois before returning to California.
Nisei male. Born October 10, 1915, in California. Married prior to mass removal, and was sent to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. Transferred to the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming, and worked on the camp newspaper. Drafted into the army and served with the Military Intelligence Service in the Philippines and occupied Japan.
Sansei female. Born October 16, 1937, in San Francisco, California. During World War II, removed to the Granada (Amache) concentration camp, Colorado. Family briefly left camp for Utah before voluntarily entering the Topaz concentration camp, Utah, when mother was pregnant. After leaving camp, returned to San Francisco and resumed elementary school.