Mas Hashimoto

Mas Hashimoto, in 1942 at age 6, was incarcerated for 3 ½ years by his own country, the United States, during World War II-without charges, attorney, trial or due process of law. After WW II, he worked in the fields from age 10 as a farm worker for 13 summers, and served in the top-secret Chemical Section of 6th Army Headquarters (1958-60). He was a US history teacher at Watsonville High School for 36 years from 1960 to 1996. Since his retirement, he has been teaching to students and adults about the racism that led to the unjust imprisonment of 120,000 innocent persons of Japanese ancestry in this country, most of whom were US citizens.

Updated February 2020

Stories from This Author

Dr. Masako Kusayanagi Goto Miura, a Medical Doctor's Camp Experience

Feb. 10, 2020 • Mas Hashimoto

In “camp,” Dr. Masako Kusayanagi Goto was known affectionately as “Dr. K.” When the war broke out in 1941, Dr. K was in her first year of residency at Los Angeles County General Hospital (LACGH) as a dermatologist. Masako was born in Pasadena in 1914 as the third of seven children to Takejiro and Matsu Kusayanagi, owners of a dry goods store. She obtained a BA in Chemistry from the University of Southern California in 1936 and was elected to …