Discover Nikkei Logo

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)

Grayce Ritsu Kaneda Uyehara
en
ja
es
pt
Grayce Ritsu Kaneda Uyehara

Importance of education in achieving redress for incarceration

(1919-2014) Activist for civil rights and redress for World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans.

en
ja
es
pt
Wakako Nakamura Yamauchi
en
ja
es
pt
Wakako Nakamura Yamauchi

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

(1924-2018) Artist and playwright.

en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki

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

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

en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki

Memories of dusty conditions at Minidoka incarceration camp

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

en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki
en
ja
es
pt
Frank Yamasaki

Making the decision to resist the draft

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

en
ja
es
pt
George Azumano
en
ja
es
pt
George Azumano

Discharged from the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel

en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa
en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa

Reaction to a 1942 speech by Mike Masaoka, Japanese American Citizen League's National Secretary

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

en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa
en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa

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

en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa
en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa

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

en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa
en
ja
es
pt
George Katsumi Yuzawa

Neighbors' sympathy after Pearl Harbor

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

en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu
en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu

Reaction of Japanese American community toward draft resistance stance

(b. 1925) Draft resister

en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu
en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu

The role of the media in influencing people's opinions

(b. 1925) Draft resister

en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu
en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu

Living conditions in prison while serving time for resisting the draft

(b. 1925) Draft resister

en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu
en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu

Talking to children about decision to resist the draft during World War II

(b. 1925) Draft resister

en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu
en
ja
es
pt
Gene Akutsu

Deciding whether to answer "yes-yes" on the loyalty questionnaire in order to leave camp

(b. 1925) Draft resister

en
ja
es
pt

Discover Nikkei Updates

CALL FOR VIDEOS
Pass the Food!
Be in our video celebrating Nikkei worldwide. Click to learn how to submit! Deadline extended to October 15!
NIKKEI CHRONICLES #13
Nikkei Names 2: Grace, Graça, Graciela, Megumi?
What’s in a name? Share the story of your name with our community. Submissions close on October 31!
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
We’re on Instagram!
Follow us @discovernikkei for new site content, program announcements, and more!