Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/391/

Memories of dusty conditions at Minidoka incarceration camp

It was very, very dusty. The dust was powdery fine and if I recall, it was about 3 or 4 inches deep. So you just, every time you take a step, you would just have a puff of smoke -- I mean, of dust -- and if you have even the slightest breeze... wow, you're in, like a fog. And when you go to the mess hall to eat, of course, when you chew the food, you can... you can feel the grit of the sand. And it's amazing, even that, you get used to it. I gradually got used to the mixture of sand and food.


Idaho Minidoka (city) United States World War II World War II camps

Date: August 18, 1997

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Lori Hoshino, Stephen Fugita

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Nisei male. Born 1923 in Seattle, Washington. Spent prewar childhood in South Park and Belltown areas of Seattle. Incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka incarceration camp, Idaho. Refused to participate in draft, imprisoned at McNeil Island Penitentiary, Washington, for resisting the draft. Resettled in Seattle.

*The full interview is available Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

George Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,George

Japanese American railroad workers are fired following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

en
ja
es
pt
George Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,George

A racist encounter at a movie theater following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

en
ja
es
pt
George Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,George

Encountering a train full of Japanese Americans being transported to a concentration camp

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

en
ja
es
pt
Luis Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,Luis

Suffering in World War II (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Luis Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,Luis

Joined Japanese Imperial Army during the WWII (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Luis Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,Luis

Proud to be a Japanese desecendant (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Donating clothes to the Japanese interns (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Relief fund to support Japanese communities (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Role of Assistancia Social dom Jose Gaspar (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Interrogation by police (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Yumi Matsubara
en
ja
es
pt
Matsubara,Yumi

Concentration camp from a Japanese mother’s point of view (Japanese)

Shin-Issei from Gifu. Recently received U.S. citizenship

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Shimizu
en
ja
es
pt
Shimizu,Henry

No immediate impact after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Shimizu
en
ja
es
pt
Shimizu,Henry

Treatment of Japanese fishermen in Canada during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Shimizu
en
ja
es
pt
Shimizu,Henry

Government's permission to publish Japanese newspaper in Canada during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Shimizu
en
ja
es
pt
Shimizu,Henry

Japanese newspaper supported by Canadian government during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

en
ja
es
pt