Idealism before war, being red, white and blue

Didn't have rights that whites had Californians didn't know about evacuation Terminal Island / San Pedro The day Pearl Harbor was bombed Father as prisoner of war in hospital Patriotism versus loyalty Conditions of assembly centers Idealism before war, being red, white and blue Visit to assembly centers by E. Stanley Jones Postcards to Nisei soldiers Hiding what happened in camp Issei are hard-working Arrest of father Camp as a positive thing Mr. Finch, godfather of the 442nd Meeting Malcolm X Joining the movement Rounding up Issei and Nikkei

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I was so ‘Red, White and Blue,’ so small-town gal, you know, and just really a thorough American, I mean, I’ve changed almost all the way around. But, then, I mean here, you know, teaching Sunday school and this whole thing about being a proud American, and I guess I was. Now, I’m certainly not, I mean. But, then, I mean, I just thought America was such a wonderful country that there could not be any country where people could be so free and no racism... I didn’t realize how bad racism was because in the school world, it’s so different from the working world, you know. And everybody was so nice, I mean, I loved, you know, living there with all the Italians and Slavonians and there were Scots and French and German...everybody. And so, it seemed like a perfect place to grow up.

Date: June 16, 2003
Location: California, US
Interviewer: Karen Ishizuka, Akira Boch
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum.

america racism