1642 items
Narrator Sab Akiyama
Nisei male. Born April 7, 1924, in Oak Grove, Oregon. Grew up in the Hood River, Oregon, area, where parents ran a farm. During World War II, was removed to the Pinedale Assembly Center, California, and the Tule Lake concentration camp, California, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army during the …
Narrator Mas Takano
Nisei male. Born June 15, 1932, in Alameda, California. Grew up in Alameda, where father was a gardener. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, moved to Cortez, California, for a few months before being removed to the Merced Assembly Center, California, and the Amache concentration camp, Colorado. After leaving camp, returned to California. Drafted into the …
Narrator Douglas L. Aihara
Sansei male. Born March 15, 1950, in Torrance, California. Grew up in the Los Angeles area, where father sold insurance. Active with Los Angeles' Koyasan Buddhist Temple's Boy Scout troop and performed with its drum and bugle corps. Attended UCLA and joined the staff of Gidra, an Asian American monthly newspaper-magazine started by a group of …
Narrator Chisao Hata
Sansei female. Born August 27, 1950, in Des Moines, Iowa. Spent early childhood in Des Moines where father worked in refrigeration and air conditioning and mother worked as a nurse. Married and moved to Portland, Oregon. Raised a family while teaching dance and getting involved in Japanese American community activities and political causes. Eventually became the …
Narrator Patricia Kiwa Koyamatsu
Sansei female. Born in 1933 in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle where father ran a tailor shop. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed with family to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. After leaving camp, resettled in Denver, Colorado, for several years before moving to Los Angeles. Returned to …
Narrator Kiyoko Morey Kaneko
Nisei female. Born September 3, 1911, in Pasadena, California. Grew up in Los Angeles where father operated a successful import/export business with retail stores. Graduated from UCLA, then lived and worked in Japan for a few years. Was married and living in Hawaii in 1941. Witnessed Japanese bomber planes overhead from home in Pearl City on …
Narrator James Nishimura
Nisei male. Born February 6, 1930, in Seattle, Washington. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. While in camp, was allowed to leave to attend high school for one year in the nearby town of Eden, Idaho. After leaving camp, Mr. Nishimura moved to …
Narrator Toshiro Izumi
Nisei male. Born May 7, 1918, in Villa Park, California. Grew up on Terminal Island, California, where father was a fisherman. During World War II, removed to the Tulare Assembly Center, California, and the Gila River concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp, relocated to Detroit, Michigan, before being drafted into the Military Intelligence Service. Served in …
Narrator Osamu Mori
Nisei male. Born July 13, 1928, in Wilmington, California. Grew up in San Pedro, California, where parents operated a farm. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, removed with family to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. Family answered "no-no" on the so-called "loyalty questionnaire," and was …
Narrator Bernadette Suda Horiuchi
Nisei female. Born February 11, 1913, in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in the Seattle and Bellevue, Washington, areas. In 1928, was involved in a serious ferry accident in which five of her family members, including both of her parents, perished. Married renowned artist Paul Horiuchi and lived in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where Paul worked for a …
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 Grace Watanabe Kimura
Nisei female. Born May 2, 1925, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Boyle Heights, where father was a prominent Baptist minister, establishing his own church. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, removed with family to the Poston concentration camp, Arizona. Obtained student leave to finish high school in Abilene, Texas. Post-World …
Narrator Walter N. Matsuoka
Nisei male. Born September 25, 1926, in Walnut Grove, California. Grew up in Walnut Grove, where father owned and operator a shoe sales and repair business. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Merced Assembly Center, California, and the Granada concentration camp, Colorado. After the war, returned to Walnut Grove. Was drafted and served …
Narrator Nori Masuda
Nisei male. Born September 11, 1916, in Fresno, California. Grew up in Fresno in Chinatown, where the city's Chinese and Japanese communities were concentrated. During World War II, removed to the Fresno Assembly Center, California, and the Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas. Left camp to work for Seabrook Farms, New Jersey. Enlisted in the military and served …
Narrator Esther Takei Nishio
Nisei female. Born February 20, 1925, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Venice, California, where father and uncle ran a carnival concession stand. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Granada (Amache) concentration camp, Colorado. In 1944, was part of a group organized by the Quakers …
Narrator Shiuko Sakai
Nisei female. Born 1923 in Seattle, Washington. Grew up in Seattle where parents operated a hotel. During World War II, removed to the Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and the Minidoka concentration camp, Idaho. Left camp to live and work in New York, then worked for several years in Japan for the U.S. occupation forces. Returned to …
Narrator Michiko Frances Chikahisa
Nisei female. Born January 9, 1929, in Los Angeles, California. Grew up in Los Angeles where father ran a successful produce business. During World War II, removed to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Rohwer concentration camp, Arkansas. After leaving camp, returned to Los Angeles and attended college, eventually earning a master's degree in …
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 Izumi Hirano
Kibei male. Born February 25, 1929, in Hilo, Hawaii. At the age of four, moved to Japan, where family operated a farm. Attended school in Japan during World War II. Was in school in Hiroshima when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945. Survived the bombing along with mother and brother. In 1949, returned …
Narrator Jack Dairiki
Kibei male. Born December 25, 1930 in Sacramento, California. Grew up in Sacramento where parents ran a hotel. In 1941, traveled to Japan with father to Japan, then could not return to the United States because of impending war. Was living in Hiroshima when the United States dropped the atomic bomb in 1945. Returned to the …
Narrator George Azumano
Nisei male. Born June 9, 1918, in Portland, Oregon. Grew up in Portland where parents ran a hotel and grocery business. Was drafted into the army prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and was transferred to the army reserves. During World War II, removed to the Portland Assembly Center, Oregon, and the Minidoka concentration camp, …
Narrator Jane Kaihatsu
Sansei female. Born June 2, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. During World War II, her father's family was sent to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, California, and the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming. Her mother's family was incarcerated at the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Gila River concentration camp, Arizona. After leaving camp the Jane's parents …
Narrator Yae Wada
Nisei female. Born November 3, 1919, in Berkeley, California. Grew up in Berkeley, where father ran a laundry business. Graduated from school and opened a beauty shop in 1940. During World War II, removed to the Tanforan Assembly Center, California, and the Topaz concentration camp, Utah. Had two children in camp and suffered numerous medical complications. …
Narrator Gary M. Itano
Sansei male. Born April 3, 1949, in East Los Angeles. Grew up in South Central Los Angeles in the Watts neighborhood, where parents owned a grocery store. Attended UCLA and became involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Father was one of the "Fort McClellan Disciplinary Barrack Boys," or "DB Boys," who resisted military orders during World …
Narrator Cookie Takeshita
Nisei female. Born April 1, 1929, in Alameda, California. Grew up in Alameda, where father ran a gardening business. During World War II, family was ordered to leave Alameda and moved to Cortez, California, before being sent to the Merced Assembly Center, California, and the Amache concentration camp, Colorado. Left camp to attend school in Cleveland, …