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

Memories of railroad workers who stayed at family's prewar hotel in Spokane, Washington Working as a night clerk at family's Spokane, Washington, hotel, throwing out the drunk residents Family's hotel clientele, transients traveling by rail Japanese American railroad workers are fired following the bombing of Pearl Harbor Losing job with railroad because of being Japanese American A racist encounter at a movie theater following the bombing of Pearl Harbor Encountering a train full of Japanese Americans being transported to a concentration camp Description of the process of chick sexing The rigorous work schedule of a chick-sexer in upstate New York The importance of speed and accuracy in the chick-sexing industry The enormous demand for chick sexers in the chicken hatchery industry

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And then one time—this was very hush-hush—but a train stopped late one afternoon. I presume it came from the coast somewhere, and I serviced it with water, ice, and there was a guard on each end with the shades all drawn. I had to go inside to service the water. When I went in, that's all I saw: Japanese. All Isseis and Niseis, and I don't know about Sanseis, but all Japanese. I thought, “Holy crow! Holy mackerel!” Then it dawned on me, I inquired. They weren't supposed to talk, they weren't supposed to show their face, I wasn't supposed to do anything, but they were headed for Heart Mountain. And I says, “Oh.” I serviced them, and that was the last I saw of them. They went to Heart Mountain, Wyoming. And at a different time, another train came through during my shift that had nothing but evacuees on it, going to Heart Mountain.

Date: March 15 & 16, 2006
Location: Washington, US
Interviewer: Megan Asaka
Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

camps incarceration railroad World War II