Interviews
Return to Los Angeles
Here I was in this camp and the news came out that they were reopening the west coast. Anyone that wanted to go back would be allowed to. There was a great deal of reticence on the part of the majority of people who were interned. They were cursed on, cursed at, yanked out of their homes, ripped off of their possessions and thrown into this place with barbed wire. It wasn’t that easy of a decision for them to say OK we’re going back to this place where all that happened.
I was young enough, naive enough to decide “I’m going back.” that’s where Jefferson High School comes back into play because I figured if anything happened and things became unpleasant I’d go run and hide into one of those areas like that. I’d probably still maintained a few high school friends, at least that was my thinking. Came out and settled into a hostel that existed in Boyle heights. I think it was on Evergreen. I have an idea that was where I made phone calls to Disney studios.
Date: August 6, 1998
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Janice Tanaka
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
Remembering December 7, 1941
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Meeting Japanese Americans from the mainland in MIS
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Awareness of concentration camps as a Japanese American
(1923-2011) Lawyer, MIS veteran, founder of Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation
Manhunt
(1919 - 2005) Challenged the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066.
The Final Verdict
(1919 - 2005) Challenged the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066.
Reasons for conformity and competitiveness in Gardena, California
(b. 1946) Lawyer
Role of the redress movement in helping Nisei to open up about their wartime experiences
(b. 1946) Lawyer
Search of family home by the FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor
(1937 - 2021) Teacher
Not recognizing father after reunion at Crystal City, Texas
(1937 - 2021) Teacher
A child's memories of activities at Crystal City, Texas
(1937 - 2021) Teacher
Hearing about Pearl Harbor
(b. 1921) Nisei veteran who served in the occupation of Japan