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Mother in Camp

One of my best friends, growing up in San Francisco, used to come over. Used to say, “You know, your mom is like the typical all-American mother.” Always groomed, wearing a white apron. Always looking nice and groomed, like one of those classic ‘60s television show mothers. Because I remember growing up, just to go downtown, to Market Street. She would dress me up. I would have to be all dressed up. She herself would dress up. Wear a hat, a coat, high heels. And we would take the trolley to Market Street. But then, in San Francisco, that’s the way you went.

So here we are in camp, and it’s all dusty and the roads weren’t paved yet. They were still in the process of black topping and everything. We’d go for a walk, and I remember the guys that were working on the road would wolf whistle my mother. And as a kid, I’d get kind of angry or embarrassed or whatever. Because she was all dressed up in high heels and everything, in camp. So that’s the way I always remember her in her younger days.


concentration camps mothers Topaz concentration camp United States Utah World War II World War II camps

Date: August 26, 2015

Location: California, US

Interviewer: John Esaki

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

Interviewee Bio

Willie Ito was born July 17, 1934 in San Francisco, California to nisei parents. Seeing Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the age of five inspired a lifelong love of animation. After his family's incarceration in Topaz, Utah during World War II, Willie returned to California to pursue an art career, attending the Walt Disney favorite Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles (which later became CalArts). Under the mentorship of legendary animator Iwao Takamoto, Willie's passion blossomed into a long career in the animation world through golden ages at Disney, Warner Brothers, and Hanna-Barbera. His credits span from The Lady and the Tramp and What's Opera Doc? to The Flinstones and the Yogi Bear Show. 

Willie continues drawing to this day, including illustration work on multiple children's books about the Japanese American World War II experience. You can also find him signing sketches and greeting fans at San Diego Comic-con. (September 2016)

Yamasaki,Frank
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Yamasaki,Frank

Loss of happy-go-lucky adolescence in Puyallup Assembly Center

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

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Yuzawa,George Katsumi
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Yuzawa,George Katsumi

First impression of New York City during war time

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

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Sakata,Reiko T.
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Sakata,Reiko T.

Voluntarily Moving to Salt Lake City, Utah

(b. 1939) a businesswoman whose family volunterily moved to Salt Lake City in Utah during the war.

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Sakata,Reiko T.
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Sakata,Reiko T.

Parents in Utah

(b. 1939) a businesswoman whose family volunterily moved to Salt Lake City in Utah during the war.

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Shinki,Venancio
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Shinki,Venancio

Help from fellow Japanese (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

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Shinoda,Mike
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Shinoda,Mike

Insights from family on Japanese American internment

(b. 1977) Musician, Producer, Artist

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Takeshita,Yukio
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Takeshita,Yukio

Involvement in JACL

(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.

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Yamauchi,Wakako Nakamura
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Yamauchi,Wakako Nakamura

Her experience as a Japanese-American schoolchild in Oceanside, California, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(1924-2018) Artist and playwright.

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Kosaki,Richard
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Kosaki,Richard

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(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

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Yamasaki,Frank
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Yamasaki,Frank

Making the decision to resist the draft

(b. 1923) Nisei from Washington. Resisted draft during WWII.

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Terasaki,Paul
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Terasaki,Paul

Difference between experiences of youth and older people in WWII camps

(b.1929) Pioneer medical researcher in tissue transfer and organ transplantation.

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Azumano,George
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Azumano,George

Discharged from the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel

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Shinki,Venancio
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Shinki,Venancio

Closing the Japanese school and deportation (Spanish)

(b. 1932-2016) Peruvian painter

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Yuzawa,George Katsumi
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Yuzawa,George Katsumi

Death of sister in October 1942

(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement

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Nakamura,Eric
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Nakamura,Eric

Father in camp but learning from history books

Giant Robot co-founder and publisher

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