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1212 items
Narrator Frances Kajita Nishi
Nisei-Sansei female. Born in February 24, 1934, in Mosier, Oregon. Grew up in Mosier, where parents worked on an orchard and did truck farming. During World War II, removed to the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Following the so-called "loyalty questionnaire" in 1943, family transferred to the Topaz concentration camp, …
Narrator Tetsushi Marvin Uratsu
Nisei male. Born February 7, 1925, in Sacramento, California. At a very young age, sent to Japan for several years. Returned at age six and lived with family in Loomis, California. During World War II, removed to the Arboga Assembly Center, California, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Transferred briefly to the Amache concentration camp, …
Narrator Wesley K. Watanabe
Ni-ten-gosei (Nisei/Sansei) male. Born May 20, 1935, in Tacoma, Washington. Spent early childhood in Kent, Washington, and was removed with family to the Pinedale Assembly Center at age seven. Family was incarcerated at Tule Lake concentration camp, California, and then moved to Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Resettled and attended grade school and high school in Chicago, …
Narrator George M. Yoshino
Nisei male. Born February 25, 1921, in Bellevue, Washington. Grew up in Bellevue, where parents operated a farm. During World War II, removed to the Pinedale Assembly Center and Tule Lake concentration camp, California. While in camp, obtained temporary leave to work for a railroad company. Volunteered for the military, and served with the Military Intelligence …
Narrator Betty Morita Shibayama
Nisei female. Born May 30, 1933, in Hood River, Oregon. Raised in the Hood River valley on family farm. After December 7, 1941, removed to the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and then to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. In 1943, moved with family to the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho, before leaving camp for Chicago, Illinois, …
Narrator Grace Hata
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, …
Narrator Shig Miyaki
Nisei male. Born November 18, 1923, on Terminal Island, California. Grew up on Terminal Island, where father was part of the large Japanese American fishing community. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Manzanar concentration camp, California. While at Manzanar, joined the irrigation crew and took expeditons out in the hills surrounding camp to …
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 Nancy Kyoko Oda
Sansei female. Born May 20, 1945, at the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Shortly after birth, parents returned to the Los Angeles, California, area, where they had been living before World War II. Grew up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, and was involved in judo along with father, who was a judo instructor. …
Narrator Art Ishida
Nisei male. Born June 2, 1921, in Fresno, California. Grew up in the Gardena area of Los Angeles, California, before moving to Japan with parents in 1929 and returning to California in the 1930s. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. Gave a qualified answer …
Narrator Elaine Ishikawa Hayes
Nisei female. Born June 30, 1923, in Willows, California. Grew up in Sacramento, California, prior to World War II. During the war, was removed to the Sacramento Assembly Center, California, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Left camp to attend college in Wisconsin, and later moved to Chicago, Illinois. Post-World War II, was active in …
Narrator Edward K. Honda
Sansei male. Born July 7, 1945, in the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Parents were from Hawaii, but father was picked up by the FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and mother went to rejoin him on the mainland. After leaving camp, lived briefly in New York City before returning to Hawaii, where parents separated. …
Narrator Diana Morita Cole
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 …
Narrator Susumu Mukushina
Nisei male. Born October 8, 1942, in Los Angeles, California. During World War II, mother and father received special dispensation to delay going to the Santa Anita Assembly Center to give birth. After Susumu was born, the family was sent to Santa Anita and then the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming, and later transferred to Tule …
Narrator Toyoko Okumura
Nisei female. Born October 14, 1916, in Gardena, California. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. In response to the so-called "loyalty questionnaire," transferred to Tule Lake segregation center with family, and expatriated to Japan. Worked in Japan for the U.S. government and …
Narrator Emi Somekawa
Nisei female. Born May 10, 1918, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in the small town of Brooks, Oregon, where parents ran a farm. Prior to World War II, became a nurse, married, and had a child. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California, and worked …
Narrator Kenji Maruko
Sansei male. Born December 13, 1920, in Fresno, California. Father was born in Hawaii, mother was born in Japan. Grew up in Fresno, where parents ran a successful bicycle shop and general store. During World War II, removed to the Fresno Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. Signed "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty …
Narrator George Nakano
Sansei male. Born November 24, 1935, in Los Angeles, California. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. Transferred to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California, as a result of parents' answers on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire." After leaving camp, returned to California, attended school, and …
Narrator Mary T. Yoshida
Nisei female. Born June 6, 1923, in Central Point, Oregon. While in elementary school, sent to live with a foster family in Medford, Oregon. Was attending college when World War II broke out, and was removed to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Left camp to work in St. Paul, Minnesota, as a housegirl. Finished college …
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 Rae Takekawa
Sansei female. Born August 27, 1927, in Bellevue, Washington. Raised on the family farm in Bellevue, Washington, prior to World War II. Was incarcerated at the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and Tule Lake concentration camp, California. Was released early to harvest sugar beets in Chinook, Montana. At the onset of World War II, her father was …
Narrator Jeff Furumura
Sansei male. Born November 23, 1950, in Los Angeles, California. During World War II, father was in a tuberculosis sanitarium, then was taken to the Tule Lake concentration camp, California, and mother was sent to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. Parents met in Chicago, Illinois, after leaving the camps. …
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 James A. Nakano
Nisei male. Born November 12, 1933, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Grew up in Honolulu, and was nine years old when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Father was arrested by the FBI, and family went to the concentration camp at Jerome, Arkansas, to reunite with him. Transferred to Tule Lake, California, following the so-called "loyalty questionnaire." After the war, …
Narrator Arthur Ogami
Nisei male. Born April 10, 1922, in Whittier, California. Spent childhood in California, before being removed to Manzanar concentration camp in 1942. Left Manzanar several times to work as a beet topper for local farmers. Decided to expatriate to Japan because of mother's wishes, and was transferred to Tule Lake concentration camp. In 1945, was moved …