6865 items
6865 items
Narrator David Matsuoka
Nisei male. Born December 21, 1929, in Walnut Grove, California. Grew up in Walnut Grove where father owned and operator a shoe sales and repair business. During World War II, removed with family to the Merced Assembly Center, California, and Granada concentration camp, Colorado. Returned to California as a high school student.
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 Rokuro Kurihara
Nisei male. Born July 11, 1927, in Glendale, California. Grew up in Glendale where parents had a farm. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, worked briefly with family at Seabrook Farms, New Jersey, then attended college in Cleveland, Ohio. Eventually returned to California.
Narrator Ann Sugimoto
Nisei female. Born September 22, 1916, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Venice, California. Married before World War II, and removed during the war to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. Had a child in camp. After leaving Manzanar, lived in Ohio for a number of years before returning to California.
Narrator Nancy Iwami
Nisei female. Born May 20, 1914, in Watsonville, California. Grew up in Watsonville and married before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. During World War II, removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, lived in Denver for a time before eventually returning to Watsonville.
Narrator Chizuko Omori
Nisei female. Born May 4, 1930, in Oxnard, California. Family resided in Oceanside, California, when World War II broke out. Removed with family to the Poston (Colorado River) concentration camp, Colorado. After leaving camp, lived for a time in Los Angeles. Along with sister, produced the award-winning documentary Rabbit in the Moon.
Narrator Jun Dairiki
Nisei female. Born September 2, 1934, in San Francisco, California. Grew up in the Japantown area of San Francisco. During World War II, removed to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and Topaz concentration camp, Utah. After leaving camp, family lived for a time in Weiser, Idaho, running a farm. Eventually returned to California.
Narrator Betty Tanakatsubo
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.
Narrator Marian A. Ohashi
Nisei female. Born July 16, 1929, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, where parents ran a dry cleaning business. During World War II, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, returned to Seattle while still a high school student.
Narrator Michiko Hara Kawaguchi
Nisei female. Born September 30, 1925, in San Francisco, California. Grew up in San Francisco where father ran a dry cleaning business. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. After leaving camp, lived in Indiana and attended college. Eventually returned to California.
Narrator Sumiko Sakai Kozawa
Nisei female. Born January 10, 1916, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Feliz, California, where family ran a flower growing business. During World War II, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California, and worked in the camp's medical laboratory. After leaving camp, returned to Los Feliz and reestablished the flower shop.
Narrator Dave T. Maruya
Nisei male. Born May 25, 1920, in Brawley, California. Grew up in Brawley where parents ran a farm. During World War II, removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, drafted into the army, and served with the Military Intelligence Service in Japan and Korea. After discharge, returned to California.
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 Lury Sato
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.
Narrator Akiko Okuno
Nisei female. Born 1926 in Gilroy, California. Grew up in the Gilroy area, where parents ran a farm. During World War II, removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Left camp to attend university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, eventually becoming a medical technician. After the war, returned to California.
Narrator June T. Watanabe
Nisei female. Born 1924 in Venice, California. Grew up in Lawndale, California, where parents farmed. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Rohwer concentration camp, Arkansas. After leaving camp, married and moved to Bloomington, Minnesota, while husband served in the military. Eventually returned to California.
Narrator Ruth Sasaki
Nisei female. Born April 6, 1929, in the Dalles, Oregon. Grew up in the Gresham-Troutdale area of Oregon, 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, married and raised a family in Ontario, Oregon.
Narrator Mary Haruka Nakamura
Nisei female. Born March 21, 1924, in O'Brien, Washington. Grew up in the Auburn/Kent area of Washington, where parents ran a farm and then a grocery store. During World War II, removed to the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. After leaving camp, settled in Ontario, Oregon.
Narrator George Kazuo Ikeda
Nisei male. Born February 24, 1922, in San Juan Bautista, California. Grew up in the nearby town of Salinas. During World War II, removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. With the help of the Quakers, left Poston and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and became an engineer.
Narrator Sanzui A. Takaha
Nisei male. Born December 12, 1926. Grew up in Half Moon Bay, California. During World War II, removed to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. Drafted into the army near the end of the war, and served in Germany. Worked for the postal service after the war.
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Mitsuye May Yamada Interview (ddr-densho-1000-137)
Female, child of Issei parents. Born July 5, 1923, in Fukuoka, Japan while her mother and two older Nisei brothers visited relatives. Named Mitsuye Mei Yasutake at birth. From age 3, grew up in Seattle, WA. Father employed by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service as interpreter for twenty years, until separated from family on December …
Narrator Toshio Ito
Nisei male. Born October 23, 1922, in Bellevue, Washington. During World War II, incarcerated at the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Prior to the war, family was part of a Japanese American "Eastside" community that cleared and farmed a large portion of what is now the Bellevue-Kirkland-Redmond area.
Narrator Joe Matsuzawa
Nisei male. Born February 7, 1913, in Bellevue, Washington. During World War II, incarcerated at the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Prior to the war, family was part of a Japanese American "Eastside" community that cleared and farmed a large portion of what is now the Bellevue-Kirkland-Redmond area.
Narrator Susumu Ito
Nisei male. Born July 27, 1919, in Stockton, California. Emeritus professor of anatomy at Harvard Medical School. During World War II, was second lieutenant, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. In his interview, he discusses his memories of serving in the 442nd and some of the more psychological aspects of combat.
Narrator Mitsuko Hashiguchi
Nisei female. Born January 25, 1921, in Bellevue, Washington. Raised on a Bellevue farm, married and had a child before being incarcerated at the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, Tule Lake concentration camp, California, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. In her interview, she discusses the Japanese American community in Bellevue before and after World War II.