Nisei male. Born May 19, 1917, in Eastport, Idaho, and spent childhood in Spokane, Washington. In 1933 traveled to Japan with family where father became ill and died. Attended school in Japan for three years and then returned to Spokane in 1936 and worked on a farm. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, volunteered for military …

Sansei female. Born September 28, 1931, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Grew up in Honolulu, where parents owned and operated a bakery. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, father was picked up by the FBI and taken to the Sand Island internment camp, Hawaii. Family was removed to the mainland in order to reunite with father, and was …

Nisei male. Born May 3, 1918, in Fowler, California. Grew up in Fowler, eventually running family's farm prior to World War II. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, married and was removed to the Gila River concentration camp, Arizona. Left camp for Minneapolis, Minnesota, to join the National Youth Administration (NYA) for training. Upon arrival, was …

Nisei female. Born September 15, 1932, in Lodi, California. Grew up in Jersey Island, a small island in the Sacramento Delta. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, returned with family to Los Angeles, California. Graduated from Long Beach State and earned a …

Nisei male. Born October 3, 1925, 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 …

Kibei Nisei male. Born October 4, 1915, in Stockton, California. As a young child, sent to Japan to live with grandparents and attend school. Returned to California at age eighteen, and drafted into the U.S. military. Discharged from the army after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Removed to the Tanforan Assembly Center, Washington, and the Topaz concentration …

Male, Issei-han. Born April 27, 1928, in Japan. As an infant, came to the U.S. where parents had previously immigrated. Family ran a hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After the war, returned to Seattle, finished high …

Nisei male. Born November 2, 1929, in Fresno, California. Moved with family at a young age to Seattle, Washington, where father was the minister of the Seattle Buddhist Temple. Father was arrested by the FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and removed to various Department of Justice internment camps. The rest of the family was …

Nisei male. Born July 19, 1924, in San Francisco, California. At a young age, family moved to Ocean Park, California, where father ran a concession stand in an amusement park. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed with family to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. While in camp, had numerous jobs, including as part of the …

Nisei male. Born February 13, 1929, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Hollywood, California, and was living there when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. Removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. Parents signed "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and the family was transferred to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California, then designated as a …

Nisei female. Born May 25, 1928, in Huancayo, Peru. Grew up in Huancayo, where father ran a successful store. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, father went into hiding in an attempt to avoid being picked up by the Peruvian government. He was eventually found and picked up, and was reunited with family on the ship …

Nisei female. Born December 5, 1930, in Gardena, California. Grew up in Gardena where parents ran a restaurant. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, father was arrested and taken away by the FBI. During mass removal, family was sent to the Manzanar concentration camp, California, and reunited with father. Following the Leave Clearance questionnaire in 1943, …

Nisei female. Born May 26, 1944, in the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Prior to World War II, parents lived in Hood River, Oregon. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, they were removed to the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California, before transferring to Minidoka. After leaving camp, the family resettled in …

Nisei male. Born January 1, 1916, in Oakland, California. Grew up in the Los Angeles area where father started a fish cake factory. Attended UCLA and UC Berkeley and then worked as an electrical draftsman for the Department of Water and Power for the City of Los Angeles. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, …

Male of Italian and Irish descent. Born 1919 in Baltimore, Maryland. Grew up in the countryside outside of Baltimore with his parents, younger sister, and maternal grandmother. Raised Catholic, he attended public schools until graduating in 1936 at age seventeen. Began working for the Baltimore News Post in 1937 until the draft of 1940 when he …

White male. Born August 30, 1926, in Mountain Home, Idaho. An enterprising child, took a job selling newspapers at age nine. High school age during the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, remembers reading about anti-Japanese sentiment in Boise, Idaho. Attended the University of Idaho and taught in Orofino, Idaho, for three years before …

Nisei male. Born September 19, 1924, in Tacoma, Washington, and spent childhood in Fife, Washington. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Drafted into the army in 1944 and joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in Europe. Awarded the Purple Heart for actions in the Battle …

Sansei female. Born September 17, 1930, in Sacramento, California. Spent childhood in Sacramento where mother and stepfather worked on strawberry fields. Sent to live with relatives in Fort Lupton, Colorado, after mother passed away in March 1941. Unable to return to West Coast after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Extended family moved …

Nisei male. Born November 7, 1920, in Mountain View, Hawaii. Grew up in Hawaii, where parents ran a sugar cane plantation. Was working hauling lumber when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Was not dismissed from work like other Japanese Americans, and was required to clean up the aftermath of the bombing. Volunteered for …

Nisei female. Born June 23, 1936, in Hilo, Hawaii. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, father was picked up by the FBI and detained at Sand Island internment camp, Hawaii. The rest of the family was removed to the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas, to be reunited with him. After Jerome closed, transferred to …

Nisei male. Born November 26, 1928, in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. Grew up in Prince Rupert, and was removed with other Japanese Canadians to Hastings Park, Vancouver, Canada, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Moved to the New Denver incarceration camp and then resettled in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with his family. Studied and practiced medicine …

Nisei male. Born October 27, 1923, in Montebello, California. Grew up in Montebello, where father and other family members ran a farm. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, family moved to Colorado to avoid mass removal. In 1943, volunteered for the army and joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, fighting in campaigns in Italy and France. …

Sansei male. Born December 16, 1936, in Oakland, California. Grew up in Alameda, California, where parents had a florist business. Immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were forced to leave Alameda, so the family split up and moved to Oakland. Removed to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. …

Nisei female. Born May 24, 1916, in the Yakima valley, Washington, and spent childhood in Wapato, Washington. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the North Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and then to the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. Was on the staff of the camp newspaper, the Heart Mountain Sentinel. Left camp for Chicago, …

Nisei male. Born December 1, 1918, in Kent, Washington. Became interested in music in junior high school, and played in various music groups. Upon graduating from high school, worked for a manufacturing plant, and then volunteered for the army. Separated from unit along with other Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and eventually served …