Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1257/

Memories of Manzanar

Manzanar? God, to me that was one of the worst places. I hated that place. Anyway, it was windy one day, windy the next day. That was the dust, too. And the building that we lived in, it was just full of those big knot holes. See, they weren’t covered; all the dust used to come. See, we’d wake up in the morning and there used to be about that much dirt on the floor. You know, dust.

And all we had was these little kerosene stoves. At first we didn’t know. It was so cold, so we turned that on. By morning, all the oil was gone. It’s cold, see.

And the first night we were there, there were these bunk beds or, what do you call these beds? Cots? Yeah. And then those mattresses, they call that? Straw mattress, we got bitten all over. My mother got so angry. There were little bed bugs. Oh god we got bitten. Terrible. So she had to go, she runs up there, she gives them hell over there. (chuckles). Bed bugs.

Anyway, so they changed all that. So we got another mattress. Anyway, it was a little bit better. But you know. That building, with all those holes, and every time the wind comes the dust will be blowing up, oh god that was awful. To me that was the most horrible place.


California concentration camps Manzanar concentration camp United States World War II World War II camps

Date: May 24, 2011

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Sumiko Kozawa was born in 1916 in Los Angeles. The oldest of five children, Sumi spent three years in Japan before World War II, learning koto, flower arranging, and tea ceremony. Her family’s flower shop, Tokio Florist in Silver Lake, was popular with the Hollywood community because of its fresh flowers and reasonable prices. Sumi not only helped out, but also had the opportunity to meet many people, including famous silent movie star, Greta Garbo. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Sumi and her family were sent to Manzanar. There she helped care for the family, taking care of her grandfather and younger sister. She passed away on December 2016, at age 100. (December 2016)

Akutsu,Gene

Reflecting on Japanese Americans' response to incarceration

(b. 1925) Draft resister

Yamada,George

Japanese American railroad workers are fired following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

Yamada,George

A racist encounter at a movie theater following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

Yamada,George

Encountering a train full of Japanese Americans being transported to a concentration camp

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

Yamada,Luis

Suffering in World War II (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

Yamada,Luis

Joined Japanese Imperial Army during the WWII (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

Yamada,Luis

Proud to be a Japanese desecendant (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Relief fund to support Japanese communities (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Role of Assistancia Social dom Jose Gaspar (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Interrogation by police (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

Shimizu,Henry

No immediate impact after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shimizu,Henry

Treatment of Japanese fishermen in Canada during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shimizu,Henry

Government's permission to publish Japanese newspaper in Canada during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shimizu,Henry

Japanese newspaper supported by Canadian government during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

Shimizu,Henry

Sneaking out of the Hastings Park camp during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.