Thoughts on relationship between Japanese Peruvians and Japanese Americans at Crystal City, Texas

Search of family home by the FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor Not recognizing father after reunion at Crystal City, Texas Living conditions at Crystal City, Texas A child's memories of activities at Crystal City, Texas Thoughts on relationship between Japanese Peruvians and Japanese Americans at Crystal City, Texas Message for future generations

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I don't remember any animosities or any breakouts or any kind of a conflict, but I do as a little kid felt like we were kind of benevolently nice to the Peruvian folks. We were told to be polite to them even if they were a little bit crude, and a little bit... their Japanese language, the language they spoke was a little cruder if I remember correctly. They let their children run around with no clothes on. “Isn't that embarrassing,” but we pretend like we overlook those things in their lives and... I think we had a little superior attitude towards them. I really do. It was a classist. The Japanese culture is pretty classist and I think that it is not a, just a mere recollection on my part, I think there was some feelings of American people feeling superior to the Peruvian Japanese people.

Date: May 27, 1998
Location: Washington, US
Interviewer: Lori Hoshino
Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

crystal city discrimination incarceration internment peruvians world war II

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