Sister’s Trauma from being Incarcerated during World War II

Keeping Japanese Performance Arts Alive in the Camps Passing Time in the Camps with Baton Twirling Takayo Fischer’s Love of Acting Started with Shibai Facing Prejudice as a Japanese American Teenager in Chicago after the War Takayo Fischer on Her First Time Expressing Outward Affection to Her Parents Being Confused about Racial Identity in Postwar United States Shock of Her Granddaughter Not Knowing Her Japanese Heritage On the Difference between Being a Role and Playing a Role Working on the Set of Pirates of the Caribbean and Meeting Keith Richards The Emotional Toll of Being Incarcerated in Camp during World War II Representing her Family and the Japanese American Community in Acting Sister’s Trauma from being Incarcerated during World War II Her Approach to Preparing for Roles Getting the Role of Gwennie in The World of Suzie Wong

Transcripts available in the following languages:

I – I was as a child, much more accepting of everything. I have a sister, Akiko, who went off to become a cadet nurse, and she – she blocked out camp altogether. When I began to get more curious about some things, and I asked her about the camp, she said, “I wasn’t in camp.” And it – you know, I didn’t push her and say, “Yes you were in camp, I was there with you,” I just kind of let it go because I think it was the training of not talking back to your older sisters. So I just kind of said, “Well I remember when you went to cadet nursing school,” which means she had to go from somewhere, she didn’t go from – you know, to let her know I knew that she was in camp. But it’s not like I argued with her.

Date: November 8, 2018
Location: California, US
Interviewer: June Berk
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

camps incarceration sister World War II