2028 items
2028 items
Narrator Sumiko Yamauchi
Nisei female. Born January 11, 1927, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles, where parents ran a florist shop. During World War II, sent to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, lived and worked with family at Seabrook Farms, New Jersey, before leaving to attend school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Eventually returned to …
Narrator Iku Kiriyama
Sansei female. Born November 12, 1939, in Los Angeles, California. During World War II, removed as a small child to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, returned to California with family, where parents established a nursery business in Torrance, California. Graduated from the University of Southern California, and worked as a teacher. Integral in …
Narrator Jack Y. Kunitomi
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.
Narrator Russell Demo
White male. Born July 2, 1924, in San Francisco, California. Grew up in San Francisco before being inducted into the military following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Assigned to service as a military policeman at the Manzanar concentration camp, California before serving overseas in Europe. After military service, returned to San Francisco.
Narrator Tom Ikkanda
Nisei male. Born August 22, 1917, in Los Angeles, California. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. Worked for a reservoir maintenance crew in camp. Left camp for Reno, Nevada, finding work as an aviation mechanic. Later returned to Los Angeles, establishing a business as an auto mechanic.
Narrator Mas Okui
Nisei male. Born October 4, 1931, in Los Angeles, California. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, returned to the Los Angeles area. Was drafted into the military and served during the Korean War. Became a teacher, and is active in Japanese American community organizations.
Narrator John Young
Chinese American male. Born May 22, 1923, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles where father was an herbalist. In 1942, married a Japanese American woman and voluntarily joined her and her family in the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, drafted into the military and served in Europe.
Narrator Gerald Nakata
Nisei male. Born March 18, 1923, in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Prior to World War II, parents operated a barber shop, farm and grocery store. Removed to Manzanar concentration camp, California. Left camp and lived in Illinois, then eventually returned to Bainbridge Island.
Narrator Tats Kojima
Nisei male. Born July 31, 1923, in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Age 18 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, was removed with family to Manzanar concentration camp, California. Later transferred to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Became an auto mechanic after World War II.
Narrator Tomiko Hayashida Egashira
Nisei female. Born July 8, 1934. Grew up on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where parents ran a farm. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. Transferred to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, returned to Bainbridge Island.
Narrator Ellen Watanabe-Huxtable
Sansei female. Born in 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. Grew up hearing stories of her parents' wartime experiences at the Santa Anita Assembly Center and Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, parents resettled in Chicago, Illinois, where Ellen was born and raised.
Narrator Mary Blocher Smeltzer
White female. Born in 1915 in Texas. Grew up in La Verne, California, where family was active with the Church of the Brethren. During World War II, lived in the Manzanar concentration camp, California, and worked as a teacher there. Along with husband, established a hostel in Chicago, Illinois, for Japanese Americans leaving the camps.
Narrator Arnold T. Maeda
Nisei male. Born July 17, 1926, in Santa Monica, California. Grew up in the Santa Monica area where parents ran a nursery business. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, worked as a chick sexer, technical illustrator in the aerospace industry, and a life insurance salesman. Returned to California …
Narrator Noboru Kamibayashi
Nisei male. Born June 23, 1930, in Fairfax, Washington. Grew up in Venice, California, where parents had a produce farm. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. Parents signed "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and decided to return with the family to Japan to live. After several years in Japan, came …
Narrator Iku Amatatsu Watanabe
Nisei female. Grew up on Bainbridge Island, Washington. During World War II, removed with family to the Manzanar concentration camp, California, and transferred to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, lived and worked in Chicago for a time before eventually returning to Bainbridge.
Narrator Michiko Amatatsu Noritake
Nisei female. Born December 6, 1919, in Winslow, Washington. Was fired from job as a domestic following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Removed to Manzanar concentration camp, California, and later transferred to Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Following World War II, returned to Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Narrator Shig Moritani
Nisei male. Born April 10, 1921. Grew up in Bainbridge Island, Washington, where family ran a strawberry farm. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. Left camp and lived in Chicago and New York before eventually returning to Bainbridge Island.
Narrator Bill Watanabe
Nisei male. Born January 5, 1944, in the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After World War II, left camp with family for the Los Angeles area, where parents had lived before the war. Established a career as an engineer. Active in the Little Tokyo Service Center.
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Charlie Matsubara - Mary Matsubara - Evelyn Togami Interview (ddr-densho-1009-3)
This interview was conducted with husband and wife Charlie and Mary Matsubara, and Mary's sister Evelyn Togami. Charlie was born June 3, 1920, in San Francisco, California. Mary was born January 3, 1922, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Evelyn was born December 9, 1920, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mary and Evelyn were living in California with their …
Narrator Dennis Bambauer
Male of Japanese and French-Irish descent. Born October 7, 1934, in Los Angeles, California. As a child, resided in the Children's Home Society Orphanage in Los Angeles. During World War II, was transferred to Manzanar concentration camp's "Children's Village" for orphans. Was adopted out of camp by a family from Bishop, California. Eventually became a teacher.
Narrator Archie Miyatake
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 …
Narrator Chikaye Sande Azeka Hashimoto
Nisei female. Born May 29, 1936, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles, where parents ran a cleaning business. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California, with family. After leaving camp, returned to Los Angeles where parents reestablished the family business. Studied and performed Japanese classical dance during and after …
Narrator Yoneo Yamamoto
Nisei male. Born March 26, 1923, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in the Boyle Heights area where father ran a pharmacy. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, lived for a time in Cleveland, Ohio, before returning to Los Angeles and establishing a successful career in public health.
Narrator Akira Kageyama
Nisei male. Born July 2, 1916, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in the Los Angeles area. Lost both parents at an early age, and was responsible for younger siblings. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. In camp, was a key figure in Manzanar's guayule project. After leaving camp, returned to …
Narrator Kazuko Nakao
Nisei female. Born December 13, 1919, in Bainbridge Island, Washington. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed with family to the Manzanar concentration camp California, then later transferred to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Married while in Minidoka, and returned to Bainbridge Island after World War II.