Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1659/

Leaving everything behind

I was 16 when we were relocated first of all to Tanforan and then to Topaz… we, like many other Japanese families, we were scared. We got rid of all our Japanese records and letters et cetera. Then when evacuation happened we left most everything just on the floor of this house and went to the assembly center.


imprisonment incarceration Topaz United States Utah World War II

Date: November 23, 2018

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Patricia Wakida

Contributed by: A Co-Production of the Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum and KCET

Interviewee Bio

Kay Sekimachi, born in 1926 in San Francisco, is an American fiber artist best known for her masterful, three-dimensional woven monofilament hangings as well as her intricate baskets and bowls. Born in San Francisco on September 30, 1926, Sekimachi was interned with her family at Tanforan Assembly Center in California and then the Topaz concentraton camp in Utah from 1942 to 1944. (June 2018)

William Hohri
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Hohri,William

Interned at age fifteen, I saw camp as an adventure

(1927-2010) Political Activist

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Harry Schneider
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Schneider,Harry

Reception of Hamako by family

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

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Terry Janzen
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Janzen,Terry

Memories of Poston

(b. 1930) Half Japanese and grew up in both Japan and the United States.

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Terry Janzen
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Janzen,Terry

Arriving at Poston

(b. 1930) Half Japanese and grew up in both Japan and the United States.

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Virgil Westdale
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Westdale,Virgil

522nd and Dachau

(1918-2022) Hapa World War II veteran, pilot

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Virgil Westdale
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Westdale,Virgil

Fellow Hapa 442 Hana

(1918-2022) Hapa World War II veteran, pilot

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Francesca Yukari Biller
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Biller,Francesca Yukari

Writing a novel on the 442nd

Jewish Japanese American journalist

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Harry Schneider
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Schneider,Harry

Meeting Hamako in Japan

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

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Harry Schneider
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Schneider,Harry

Meeting Mr. Amano

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

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Harry Schneider
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Schneider,Harry

Marriage and Returning to US

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

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Susumu “Sus” Ito
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Ito,Susumu “Sus”

Feeling prejudice while looking for jobs

(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

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Susumu “Sus” Ito
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Ito,Susumu “Sus”

Generosity of the Italians

(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

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Susumu “Sus” Ito
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Ito,Susumu “Sus”

Invited to teach at Harvard by his boss

(1919 - 2015) Nisei who served in World War II with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team

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Jimmy Ko Fukuhara
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Fukuhara,Jimmy Ko

The riot in Manzanar

(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan

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Willie Ito
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Ito,Willie

The Dopey bank that survived the war

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

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