Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1738/

Stories of Grandfather at a concentration camp in Fusagasuga

Thankfully for us, they treated them well. There's a story that he was given something that he would…I don't remember exactly what they were given good that he would collect, and trade for booze, because he wanted to have some drink, and they weren't allowed to have all those things. So he collected, and traded them. Maybe they had some limited outings, or something.

And there's also a thing that he says that if they were well behaved, they took them out for field trips. So he had gone to a park, or something that he had been impressed by the beauty of the place that they had visited.

And there's also stories that my grandmother had written in Japanese to my grandfather saying, like prearranging that, there were like a lot of faked illnesses in my family, and they would write the notes in Spanish. So the guards would understand that they were telling him that my mom, for example, my mom was very, very sick that what should we do or whatever, so they allowed him time off, and gave him permission to come visit. And he would visit for 15 days, and go back. So they were, I guess every so often, they would fake some illness, or some major event, only so he would be allowed to come visit them.


Colombia World War II World War II camps

Date: September 22, 2019

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

Interviewee Bio

Monica Teisher was born in Cali, Colombia in 1974 to an Issei father and Nisei mother. She and her large extended family were active in the Cali Japanese community, the largest in Colombia. She moved to the United States after marrying a U.S. citizen of Eastern European Jewish descent. They and their daughters spend vacation time in Colombia, participating in community events. (May 2020)

Miyatake,Archie

His father describes the importance of photographing camp life

(1924-2016) Photographer and businessman.

Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Impact of Pearl Harbor on her family

(b. 1934) Writer

Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Initial impact on life at camp

(b. 1934) Writer

Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

The birth of a novel through a conversation with her nephew

(b. 1934) Writer

Abe,George

Realizing Importance of Birthplace

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

Matsumoto,Roy H.

Mixed emotions after declaration of war on Japan

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

Abe,George

Honing Artistic Talent at Camp

(b. 1944) taiko and flute performer

Matsumoto,Roy H.

Train ride to Jerome Relocation Center

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

Matsumoto,Roy H.

Atmosphere in his Merrill’s Marauders unit when surrounded by Japanese soldiers

(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.

Houston,Jeanne Wakatsuki

Not a "camp story" but a human story

(b. 1934) Writer

Nakamura,Grace Aiko

Larry designing chairs in the camp

Sister of automotive designer Larry Shinoda

Kosaki,Richard

Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i

Shibayama,Art

Family's deportation from Peru to U.S. after the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

Shibayama,Art

Conditions aboard U.S. transport ship while being deported from Peru

(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.

Shimomura,Roger

Receiving a negative reaction from father upon asking about World War II experience

(b. 1939) Japanese American painter, printmaker & professor