323 items

Narrator Martha Nishitani
Nisei female. Born February 27, 1920, in Seattle, Washington. Family owned and operated the Oriental Gardens, the first nursery in Lake City. Incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. An award-winning modern dancer who established the Martha Nishitani Modern Dance School and Martha Nishitani Modern Dance Company, she also choreographs for modern …

Narrator Masao Watanabe
Nisei male. Born December 10, 1923, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up near the Nihonmachi area of Seattle. Incarcerated at the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. In 1943, volunteered for the army while in camp. Served in Europe with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, L Company. Returned to Seattle after the war and …

Narrator Mits Takahashi
Nisei male. Born October 22, 1924, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, where father was a prominent member of the Japanese Gardeners Association. During World War II, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Drafted into the army, and served in Italy with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Received …

Narrator Victor Ikeda
Nisei male. Born February 4, 1927, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle's Japantown area, where parents operated a hotel. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp to attend school in Minnesota, was drafted, and trained in the Military Intelligence Service Language …

Narrator Fumiko Uyeda Groves
Nisei female. Born 1933 in Seattle, Washington. Parents operated a store in the Sanitary Market (now known as the Pike Place Market). Father was very active in kenjinkai (prefectural organization) activities, both before and after World War II. Spent prewar childhood in and among Seattle's Japanese American community. Incarcerated at the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and …

Narrator David R. Boyd
White male. Born February 2, 1937, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, where his father, Gene Boyd, worked for the Seattle Parks Department. Gene Boyd was the athletic director for the Collins Field House, and had a close relationship with members of the Japanese American community in Seattle. Notably, during World War II, Gene Boyd …

Narrator Marietta Boyd Gruner
White female. Born July 25, 1943, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, where her father, Gene Boyd, worked for the Seattle Parks Department. Gene Boyd was the athletic director for the Collins Field House, and had a close relationship with members of the Japanese American community in Seattle. Notably, during World War II, Gene Boyd …

Narrator Ed Tsutakawa
Nisei male. Born May 15, 1921, in Seattle, Washington. Spent much of childhood in Japan, returning to the U.S. at the age of fifteen. Began attending the University of Washington before being removed to Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Created a series of art pieces depicting camp life. Moved to Spokane, Washington, …

Narrator Aya Uenishi Medrud
Nisei female. Born April 9, 1925, in Malden, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, Washington, before being removed with family to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. From Minidoka, relocated with family to Utica, New York. Worked in Japan for the U.S. Army of Occupation, and for the Tokyo General Army Hospital …

Narrator Mae Kanazawa Hara
Nisei female. Born 1913 in Seattle, Washington. Spent childhood in Seattle before moving to Chicago, Illinois, for three years to study music. Taught music in Japan for four years before returning to Seattle. After the outbreak of World War II, removed to Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp with husband for …

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 Shosuke Sasaki
Issei male. Born March 26, 1912, in Yamaguchi-ken, Japan. Immigrated to United States in 1919. Lived in Pomeroy, Washington, and Seattle, Washington, before World War II. Incarcerated at the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Resettled in New York. As a member of the Newspaper Guild, led effort to eliminate pejorative use …

Narrator David Sakura
Sansei male. Born 1936 in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Eatonville, Washington, where father worked for a lumber company. During World War II, removed with family to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Father served in the U.S. Army during the war. After leaving camp, lived in public housing on the …

Narrator Robert Mizukami
Nisei male. Born December 20, 1922, in Star Lake, Washington. Grew up in the Renton area and later in Fife, Washington. Immigrant father began three-generation greenhouse business in Fife. Following Executive Order 9066, the Mizukami family was removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington (nicknamed "Camp Harmony"). Later, transported to Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Served in …

Narrator Frank Sato
Nisei male. Born March 16, 1929, in Puyallup, Washington. Grew up in the Sumner, Washington, area, where parents had a produce business. During World War II, removed with family to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After the war, attended the University of Washington and the University of Southern California. Established …

Narrator Gerald L. Beppu
Sansei male. Family owned Linc's Tackle, a longtime Japanese American business in Seattle, Washington. Prior to World War II, father became the owner of Togo's Tackle shop. During the war, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. While the family was in camp, their prewar insurance agent paid the premiums …

Narrator Etsuko Ichikawa Osaki
Nisei female. Born February 19, 1931, in Fresno, California. Family moved to Seattle, Washington, where father became minister of the Seattle Buddhist Temple. During the war, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Transferred to the Crystal City internment camp, Texas, to be reunited with father, who was arrested by the …

Narrator George Morihiro
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 …

Narrator Satoru Ichikawa
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 …

Narrator Kaz T. Tanemura
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 …

Narrator Hannah Lai
Nisei female. Born April 11, 1923, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, where parents ran a hotel. Went to live in Japan for several years prior to World War II. During the war, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. While in Minidoka, recruited to teach elementary school, and …

Narrator Warren Koichi Suzuki
Nisei male. Born February 27, 1921, in Seattle, Washington. At age ten, was sent to Japan to live and attend school. Returned to Seattle prior to World War II. During the war, was removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Answered "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" and was transferred …

Narrator Hannah Hirabayashi
Nisei-Sansei female. Born 1938 in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in the town of Christopher, now part of Auburn, Washington, where parents ran a grocery store. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, father was arrested by the FBI and sent to the Fort Missoula internment camp, Montana. The rest of the family went to the Puyallup Assembly …

Narrator Fumiko M. Noji
Nisei female. Born 1909 in Bellingham, Washington. Lost her United States citizenship when she married an Issei through an arranged marriage. Before 1920, her husband's family established Columbia Greenhouse, one of the first Japanese American-owned greenhouse businesses. Incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Husband was held by the Immigration and …

Narrator Ruby Inouye
Nisei female. Born November 17, 1920, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle, and graduated salutatorian from Broadway High School. Was enrolled in the pre-medical program at the University of Washington on December 7, 1941. During the war, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp to attend the …