Awareness of concentration camps as a Japanese American

The Kona Island community Going to Japanese school Starting work at five years old Traveling the world seven times Remembering December 7, 1941 Being an American soldier and an "enemy alien" Volunteering to serve for the U.S. military in Japan Meeting Japanese Americans from the mainland in MIS Awareness of concentration camps as a Japanese American Not relating to Japan Americans' experiences on the mainland Visiting family in Japan Being stationed in Japan during the American occupation Rebuilding Japan Investigating labor movements in Japan Feeling closer to Japan as a Japanese American Serving as a lawyer to Americans in Japan To serve as a lawyer Defining the term Nikkei

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Yes, as I recall they came from the camps. Which ones I wasn’t too aware at that time where the camps were. But I knew that there many Japanese Americans on the West Coast were placed into the concentration camps. And also, many many of them volunteered for the 100th battalion, the 442nd regimental combat team and the Military Intelligence Service. In our school alone, they were, I didn't directly ask them, but we knew that they came from the concentration camps.

Date: May 29, 2006
Location: Hawai`i, US
Interviewer: Akemi Kikumura Yano
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

100th 442nd army military World War II