6155 items
6155 items
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Helene J. Minehira Interview (ddr-densho-1000-319)
Nisei female. Born April 30, 1925, in Waipahu, Hawaii. Just before World War II, moved with family to the Ewa Beach area of Oahu, near Pearl Harbor. Witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Because of proximity to the harbor, family was forced to evacuate their home in Ewa Beach and had …
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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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John Kats Marumoto Interview (ddr-densho-1000-322)
Nisei male. Born 1927 in Terminal Island, California. Grew up on Terminal Island, where father was a fisherman. Lived in Japan for a short time in 1941. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, moved to Compton after the Japanese Americans were excluded from Terminal Island. Removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, worked …
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Emi Somekawa Interview (ddr-densho-1000-378)
Nisei female. Born May 10, 1918, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in the small town of Brooks, Oregon, where parents ran a farm. Prior to World War II, became a nurse, married, and had a child. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California, and worked …
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Sam Araki Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-402)
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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Gus Tanaka Interview (ddr-one-7-67)
Nisei male. Born August 3, 1923, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Portland, where father was a physician in Japantown. Was attending college prior to World War II. During the war, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp to attend college before being drafted in 1944. Served in …
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Frank Hiratsuka Interview (ddr-densho-1000-341)
Nisei male. Born July 16, 1926, in Alviso, California. Lived in various places in California as a child. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, family moved to Reedley, California, in an attempt to avoid incarceration, but were removed when the exclusion zone extended to Reedley. Sent to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. …
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Aaron Zajic Interview (ddr-densho-1020-1)
Born in Baltimore, Maryland. During the Redress Movement, worked for the Department of Justice's Office of Redress Administration (ORA), which was established to identify and administer reparations payments to eligible individuals. Was the ORA's Manager, Stage II Verification Team, from 1990 to 2000. By 1993 some of the ORA staff began working on Civil Rights investigations, …
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Kenji Suematsu Interview (ddr-densho-1003-11)
Nisei male. Born April 29, 1934, in Brawley, California. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Father was arrested by the FBI and mother had a nervous breakdown. Kenji and his sister were sent to stay at the Shonien orphanage in Los Angeles. During mass removal, taken to Manzanar with other orphans and placed in the Manzanar …
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Kiyo Nikaido Morimoto Interview (ddr-densho-1010-4)
Nisei female. Born November 30, 1919, in Walnut Grove, California. Paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States with father. Grew up in the Madera, California, area, and was married with a child by the time World War II broke out in 1941. During the war, removed to the Fresno Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration …
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Yoji J. Matsushima Interview (ddr-one-7-54)
Nisei male. Born January 31, 1933, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Portland, where parents ran a general merchandise store. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp for the East Coast because parents wanted to repatriate to Japan. Did not secure a place on …
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Rose Matsui Ochi Interview I (ddr-densho-1000-276)
Nisei female. Born December 15, 1938, in Los Angeles, California. As a child, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Rohwer concentration camp, Arkansas. Following World War II, became a teacher and then went to law school. In 1974, worked for Los Angeles Mayor Bradley as a legislative research coordinator and eventually executive …
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Rose Matsui Ochi Interview II (ddr-densho-1000-277)
Nisei female. Born December 15, 1938, in Los Angeles, California. As a child, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Rohwer concentration camp, Arkansas. Following World War II, became a teacher and then went to law school. In 1974, worked for Los Angeles Mayor Bradley as a legislative research coordinator and eventually executive …
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Eddie M. Inaba Interview (ddr-densho-1010-6)
Nisei male. Born May 9, 1917, in Walnut Grove, California. Parents worked at Canal Ranch, an agricultural community, where they grew produce for Libby, McNeill & Libby. Parents also owned and ran a bar in Walnut Grove. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Merced Assembly Center, California, and Granada (Amache) concentration camp, Colorado. …
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James Yamazaki Interview (ddr-densho-1000-175)
Nisei male. Born July 6, 1916. Grew up in the Los Angeles area, where father was a Buddhist minister. Attended medical school before World War II. During the war, served in the U.S. Army as a doctor with the 106th Infantry Division in Europe. Captured during the Battle of the Bulge and was held in several …
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Jean Shiraki Gize Interview (ddr-jamsj-2-14)
Nisei female. Born June 16, 1938, in Alameda, California. Was age three when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Removed with family to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. While in camp, father volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Mother answered an ad in the camp newspaper and …
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Takashi Hoshizaki Interview (ddr-densho-1000-290)
Nisei male. Born October 3, 1923, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles, where parents owned and operated a produce store. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Pomona Assembly Center, California, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. While in Heart Mountain, decided to resist the draft, and attended meetings of …
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Spark M. Matsunaga Interview (ddr-densho-1007-3)
Nisei male. Born October 9, 1916, in Kukui'ula, Kauai'i, Hawaii. During World War II, served as an original member of the 100th Infantry Battalion, later the 1st Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat team, and also with the Military Intelligence Service. In 1954, was elected to the Hawai'i Territorial Legislature. He was later elected to Congress, …
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Frank S. Kawana Interview (ddr-densho-1000-367)
Nisei male. Born June 29, 1933, in Graham, Washington. Moved with family at an early age to Los Angeles, California, where father owned and operated a kamaboko business. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Rohwer concentration camp, Arkansas. After leaving camp, lived briefly with family in a trailer …
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Elsa Kudo Interview (ddr-densho-1000-388)
Sansei female. Born September 29, 1936, in Canete, Peru. Grew up in Peru where parents ran a successful store. During World War II, father was arrested by the FBI and removed from the family. Elsa and her mother and siblings were deported from Peru and taken by ship to the Crystal City internment camp, Texas, and …
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Kiyo Maruyama Interview (ddr-densho-1003-1)
Nisei male. Born August 28, 1920, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in the Glendale area, where father ran a gardening business. Was in college at UC Berkeley when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. Left camp to work in Chicago. Drafted into the army and served …
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Jim Matsuoka Interview (ddr-densho-1000-281)
Nisei male. Born July 27, 1935, in Los Angeles, Califonia. Grew up in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood prior to World War II. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed with family to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, returned to Los Angeles and attended school. Became involved in gang activity in L.A. in …
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Marian Shingu Sata Interview (ddr-densho-1000-262)
Nisei female. Born August 31, 1935, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Gardena, where father was a prominent community leader and principal of the Japanese language school. During World War II, removed with family to the Stockton Assembly Center, California, and the Rohwer concentration camp, Arkansas. Left camp along with a group of Japanese American …
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Charles Oihe Hamasaki Interview (ddr-densho-1000-274)
Nisei male. Born October 7, 1922, in Japan, while parents were visiting family. Came to the U.S. at three months old, and grew up in Terminal Island, California. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, picked up along with Issei father and taken to Fort Lincoln (Bismarck), North Dakota. Transferred from Fort Lincoln to the Santa Anita …
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Fred Shiosaki Interview (ddr-densho-1016-1)
Nisei male. Born August 23, 1924 in the area of Spokane, Washington, known as Hillyard. Grew up in a multi-ethnic Hillyard area where his parents owned the Hillyard Laundry. When World War II began, was a senior at Rogers High School. Went on to attend Gonzaga University and then volunteered for military service, joining the 442nd …