144 items
144 items

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 Mas Hashimoto
Nisei male. Born September 15, 1935, in Watsonville, California. Grew up in Watsonville before being removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Following World War II, returned with family to Watsonville and finished school. Became a teacher of U.S. History at Watsonville High School.

Narrator Catherine Embree Harris
White female. Born October 30, 1919. Grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, before World War II. After college, took a job with the Office of Indian Affairs, and went to work at the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After the war, continued to work for the War Relocation Authority and then other agencies.

Narrator Ben Ohama
Nisei male. Born December 10, 1917, and grew up in Sanger, California. During World War II, incarcerated in the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Served in the Military Intelligence Service as an interpreter in Japan. After military service, moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and became involved with the Japanese American Citizens League.

Narrator Robert M. Wada
Nisei male. Born July 12, 1930, in Redlands, California. Spend childhood in Redlands before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During World War II, removed with family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, returned to Redlands and continued school. Served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War.

Narrator Sachi Kaneshiro
Nisei female. Born January 1, 1920, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Covina, California. Worked for the Wartime Civil Control Administration (WCCA). Volunteered to go early to Poston concentration camp, Arizona, to help set up the camp. Eventually transferred to Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming, before leaving for New York. Eventually pursued a career in …

Narrator Frances Midori Tashiro Kaji
Nisei female. Born April 30, 1928, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, where father was a prominent medical physician. During World War II, removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Left camp with family to work on a sugar beet farm in Colorado, and eventually returned to Los Angeles, where father …

Narrator Jack Y. Kubota
Nisei male. May 4, 1929, in Pasadena, California. Grew up El Centro, California, where father was a truck farmer. During World War II, removed with family to the Poston (Colorado River) concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, lived for a time in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and joined the navy. Graduated from college in San Diego and …

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Rudy Tokiwa Interview II (ddr-densho-1000-92)
Nisei male. Born July 7, 1925, near San Jose. Grew up in Salinas, California, until he went to Japan at the age of thirteen. Studied in Japan until about 1939. Incarcerated at the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Volunteered out of camp to serve in the U.S. military. Fought in Europe as …

Narrator Yukio Kawaratani
Nisei male. Born May 30, 1031, in San Juan Capistrano, California. Grew up in various places in California. During World War II, was removed with family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. While in Poston, family signed "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and was transferred to Tule Lake. Father and two older brothers renounced their …

Narrator Kitako Izumizaki
Nisei female. Born November 21, 1921, in Watsonville, California. Grew up in Watsonville, where family operated a truck farm. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Lived for a time in Texas while husband served in the military before eventually returning to Watsonville.

Narrator Isao Kameshige
Nisei male. Born April 13, 1925, in Galt, California. Grew up in Hollister, California. During World War II, removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Drafted into the military and served with the Counterintelligence Corps in Japan during the U.S. occupation. After service, joined family in Ontario, Oregon.

Narrator Hisaye Yamamoto
Nisei female. Born August 23, 1921, in Redondo Beach, California. Raised in California before mass removal to Parker Dam Assembly Center, Arizona, which was later converted into Poston concentration camp. An aspiring writer, worked for the camp newspaper, the Poston Chronicle, while incarcerated. After leaving camp, returned to California and worked for the Los Angeles Tribune. …

Narrator Fred Oda
Nisei male. Born September 2, 1923, in Watsonville, California. Grew up in Watsonville, where parents operated a joint barbershop and bathhouse business. During World War II, removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, worked in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before returning to Watsonville. Attended barber school in San Francisco, …

Narrator Lloyd K. Wake
Nisei male. Born January 12, 1922, in Reedley, California. Grew up in Reedley, where parents ran a farm. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Left camp in 1943 to attend Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, and entered the ministry. After the war, lived in San Francisco, California, and …

Narrator Takenori Yamamoto
Nisei male. Born February 21, 1938, in Los Angeles, California. Age three when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, and was removed with family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, returned to Los Angeles. After World War II, served in the U.S. Air Force, and later became involved in numerous Japanese American community organizations, including …

Narrator Chiyoko Chiyo Omachi
Nisei female. Born July 12, 1926, in Terminal Island, California. Grew up on Terminal Island where father worked as a ship builder. During World War II, removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Left camp and lived in Pennsylvania with relatives before attending college in New York. Family resettled in Chicago, Illinois, after the war, where …

Narrator Wakako Yamauchi
Nisei female. Born October 23, 1924, in Westmorland, California. Grew up in the Imperial Valley before being removed with family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona, during World War II. After leaving camp, attended art school in San Diego before marrying and moving to Los Angeles. Published short story And the Soul Shall Dance, which was …

Narrator Minoru Tajii
Nisei male. Born February 23, 1924, in Brawley, California. Grew up in El Centro, California, where parents ran a farm. During World War II, was removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Family signed "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and transferred to the Crystal City internment camp, Texas, then to Japan. Lived and worked in …

Narrator Masako Yoshida
Nisei female. Born July 14, 1924, in Seattle, Washington. Spent early years in Seattle before family moved to the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, where father worked as a janitor at a wholesale produce market. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Left camp to work in Detroit, …

Narrator Noboru Richard Horikawa
Nisei male. Born 1926 in San Francisco, California. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, moved with family to stay with relatives in Watsonville, California. During World War II, removed to the Salinas Assembly Center, California, then to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Left camp early to attend school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drafted into the military and …

Narrator Shoichi Kobara
Nisei male. Born April 23, 1922, in Watsonville, California. Grew up in Watsonville until age six, then family moved to Salinas. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to Salinas Assembly Center, California, and the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, lived and worked in Utah for a time before serving in Japan in the …

Narrator Roy Nakagawa
Nisei male. Born December 28, 1916, in Missoula, Montana. Spent early part of childhood in Montana, where parents ran a farm. Moved with family to Seattle, Washington, finished school, and attended the University of Washington. Moved to the Los Angeles area for work. During World War II, removed to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving …

Narrator Masaru Ed Nakawatase
Sansei male. Born September 29, 1943, in the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, parents moved to and worked at Seabrook Farms in New Jersey. Masaru grew up in the Seabrook with the families that worked there. Became involved in the Civil Rights Movement and worked for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the American Friends …

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George Ishibashi Interview (ddr-densho-400-7)
George Ishibashi was born on March 27, 1914, in San Pedro, California. He grew up on a farm in Palos Verdes, California. His father immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1890s and leased his first farm in 1906. Following Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor, the family's lease was unceremoniously ended. Ishibashi and his family were …