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6865 items

Narrator Frank Hiratsuka

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. …

Narrator Frank K. Omatsu

Nisei male. Born March 31, 1924, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles where father worked as a produce buyer. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. Left camp to work in Chicago, and was drafted into the military. Served with the Military …

Narrator Takayo Tsubouchi Fischer

Nisei female. Born November 25, 1932, in Harwick, California. During World War II, at the age of nine, removed with family to the Fresno Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome and Rohwer concentration camps, Arkansas. After leaving camp resettled in Chicago for a time before moving to Florida to attend college. In 1958, appeared in the …

Narrator Mo Nishida

Nisei male. Born August 11, 1936, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in the Los Angeles area. During World War II, was removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Granada (Amache) concentration camp, Colorado. After leaving camp, returned to California and became involved in numerous civil rights organizations and movements postwar. Founded the …

Narrator Shyoko Hiraga

Nisei female. Born 1927 in Denver, Colorado. Grew up in Denver, where father was a tailor, then established a newspaper, the Rocky Nippon. During World War II, father was removed as editor of the newspaper, arrested by the FBI, and interned in a Department of Justice camp. James Omura took over as head of the newspaper, …

Narrator Kenji Suematsu

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 …

Narrator Yutaka Inokuchi

Nisei male. Born August 25, 1924, in Waipahu, Hawaii. Grew up on the Waipahu sugar plantation where parents worked. Was attending Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Father was picked up by the FBI and eventually interned in the Honouliuli POW camp. Mr. Inokuchi got a job in the …

Narrator Ben Takeshita

Nisei male. Born August 2, 1930, in San Mateo, California. During World War II, removed with family to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. Due to parents' answers on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire," transferred to Tule Lake when it was designated a segregation center. After leaving camp, returned to San Mateo, …

Narrator Miyoko Kaneta

Nisei female. Born December 16, 1926, in El Centro, California. Grew up in various places in California, where parents owned a barbershop. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed with her family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, resettled in Hazelton, Idaho, and Oakland, California, before moving to Seattle, Washington. After the war, …

Narrator Clara S. Hattori

Nisei female. Born May 21, 1919, in Sacramento, California. Grew up in the Loomis area of California, where parents ran a farm and fruit orchard. Just prior to World War II, worked in the Japanese Pavilion at the San Francisco World's Fair of 1939-1940. During World War II, removed to the Marysville Assembly Center, California, and …

Narrator Mary Nakata Tomita

Nisei female. Born August 6, 1931, in Alameda, California. Had a twin sister, and as an infant was adopted by mother's cousin and her husband. Grew up in Alameda, where adoptive father ran a garage. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. Returned to …

Narrator Elliot Yoshinobu Horikoshi

Nisei male. Born December 26, 1938, in Salem, Oregon. Family moved frequently before the war due to father's profession as a Methodist minister. During World War II, removed to Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. After leaving camp, family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where father could attend graduate seminary school. Eventually …

Narrator Mary Kinoshita Ikeda

Nisei female. Born May 18, 1927, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seatle, where father wsa the head bellboy at an exclusive club. Attended the Maryknoll Catholic school in Seattle prior to World War II. During World War II, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. While at Minidoka, brother …

Narrator Shiz Inaba

Nisei female. Born September 19, 1929, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Milwaukie, 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, returned to Oregon and parents ran a hotel business in Portland. Went to business school and worked …

Narrator Mary Ishimoto Watanabe

Nisei female. Born September 29, 1920, in San Jose, California. Grew up in Cupertino, California. Attending San Jose State College when World War II broke out. Sent to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. Left camp with the help of the National Student Relocation Council to attend graduate school. …

Narrator Warren H. Watanabe

Nisei male. Born August 12, 1921, in San Francisco, California. Grew up in San Francisco, where father worked as the executive secretary of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. During World War II, removed to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. Left camp to attend college and the University of Chicago. Earned …

Narrator Chiyo Koiwai

Nisei female. Born June 11, 1919, in Tacoma, Washington. Grew up in Tacoma where family ran a hotel. Was studying to be a nurse when World War II broke out, so lobbied to be sent to the Puyallup Assembly Center, separate from parents, in order to stay in Washington state to finish training. After Puyallup, sent …
Mitsuye May Yamada Interview (ddr-densho-1000-137)
vh 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 Hideo Hoshide

Nisei male. Born September 25, 1917, in Tacoma, Washington. Grew up in Tacoma except for living in Japan for several years at age four. Attended the University of Washington in Seattle, majoring in Political Science, Far Eastern Studies, with a minor in journalism. Prior to World War II, worked as sports editor for community newspaper, The …

Narrator Clifford Uyeda

Nisei male. Born January 14, 1917, in Olympia, Washington. Raised in Washington before attending the University of Wisconsin, where he graduated in 1940. Earned medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and completed his residency at Harvard Medical School in 1949. Served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and …

Narrator James Sakamoto

Nisei male. Born April 18, 1924, in Mayfield, California. Spent prewar childhood years in Alviso, California. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, moved with family to Stockton, California, in an attempt to avoid mass removal. Despite this, was removed to the Stockton Assembly Center, California, and the Rohwer concentration camp, Arkansas. Resettled in Colorado …

Narrator Mitsu Ito

Nisei male. Born August 20, 1924, in Mission, British Columbia, Canada. Grew up in Mission, attending school and helping on family farm. Left home to work several jobs, including in a sawmill and on a sugar beet farm. After World War II, moved to Japan, worked as an interpreter for the British Army, and got married. …

Narrator Mii Tai

Nisei female. Born 1923 in Spokane, Washington. Spent childhood in downtown Spokane where parents ran the Oriental Laundry. Family was active with the Methodist Episcopal Church and mother taught at the Japanese Language School. Attended Lewis & Clark High School. Remembers changes in the Japanese American community brought about by World War II. Husband, Sumio Tai, …

Narrator Jun Kurumada

Nisei male. Born December 13, 1913, in Richfield, Utah. Grew up primarily in Ogden, Utah. Attended the University of Utah and then UC Berkeley for dental school. Established a dental practice in Salt Lake City, Utah, prior to World War II. During the war, was president of the Salt Lake City chapter of the Japanese American …

Narrator Jim Akutsu

Nisei male. Born January 25, 1920, in Seattle, Washington. Incarcerated at the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Resisted the draft, with the rationale that the U.S. government had classified him 4-C, an enemy alien, and he was therefore under no obligation to serve. Imprisoned at McNeil Island Penitentiary, Washington. Vocal critic of …
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