Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/1779/

Relating to Hispanic immigrant families at detention center in Laredo, TX

But this Laredo trip was the closest I felt that I could feel what my mom, my sisters went through. Just hearing their voices in Spanish, there was an interpreter there. They were saying, oh my god, their story is nothing compared to ours. We were, they were detained for six months to a year, we were there for three and a half years, they don't think there's any comparison.

But for them to tell their story in Spanish, I could see my sister in particular, Kiyo is the second oldest now, my oldest sister married right out of camp, so she went to Los Angeles. So my older sister was kind of in charge, and she did a lot. And she only spoke Spanish and Japanese, so her English was this heavy accent, Spanish accent. We always had fun with her because of that. But when I heard the ladies speaking, one lady from Guatemala talked about her four kids, and the oldest was eighteen and her daughter was eighteen, and they took her away. This is now happening today, and she couldn't figure out why, and later they told her, "Well, she's eighteen so she can take care of herself." There's no law that does that. Everything's, they're breaking the law regularly, no different than what they did with us. And when they were telling their story they were breaking down and crying, the interpreter was crying, and it was a moment that I could feel a little bit of what my parents and my sister went through.

I was really torn. That's when I said, oh god, that speaking, hearing the Spanish, you just, right away, I could sense what my sister or my mom went through, because that's all they spoke, or Japanese.


collective behavior crowds demonstrations (political) immigrants immigration Japanese Peruvians Latin Americans migration people protests public meetings Spaniards World War II

Date: September 20, 2019

Location: California, US

Interviewer: Tom Ikeda and Yoko Nishimura

Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum and Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Kazumu Julio Cesar Naganuma was born in Lima, Peru to his Issei parents on July 28, 1942. Before World War II, his parents ran a laundry business and father was a prominent community leader. When the war started, the FBI arrested his father and sent the entire family to the Department of Justice camp at Crystal City, Texas. They remained there even after the war had ended, without a place to go, becuase the family was not allowed to return to Peru. They were able to leave the camp with a sponsporship of Seabrook Farm in New Jersey, and later with the help and sponsorship of a Shinto church reverend in San Francisco, California, where they were able to find jobs and housing. Kazumu established successful design firm. (June 2020)

Terry Janzen
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Janzen,Terry

Moving to Upland Post-Camp

(b. 1930) Half Japanese and grew up in both Japan and the United States.

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Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
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Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Kindergarten in Davao, Philippines

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

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Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
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Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Family was shipped back to Japan after the war

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

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Herb Ohta
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Ohta,Herb

Living in Hawaii after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1934) Ukulele player from Hawaii

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Harry Schneider
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Schneider,Harry

Coming to California

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

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Sawako Ashizawa Uchimura
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Uchimura,Sawako Ashizawa

Life in the Philippines

(b. 1938) Philipines-born hikiagesha who later migrated to the United States.

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Harry Schneider
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Schneider,Harry

Learning Japanese with the MIS

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

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Iwao Takamoto
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Takamoto,Iwao

Camouflage Net Weaving in Manzanar

Japanese American animator for Walt Disney and Hanna Barbera (1925-2007)

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Harry Schneider
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Schneider,Harry

Miscommunications

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

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Harry Schneider
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Schneider,Harry

Writing Letters

(1916 - 2013) Member of the U.S. Military Intelligence Service

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Iwao Takamoto
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Takamoto,Iwao

Developing Art Skills in Camp

Japanese American animator for Walt Disney and Hanna Barbera (1925-2007)

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Iwao Takamoto
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Takamoto,Iwao

Return to Los Angeles

Japanese American animator for Walt Disney and Hanna Barbera (1925-2007)

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Robert T. Fujioka
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Fujioka,Robert T.

Grandparents were incarcerated in Jerome, Arkansas

(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii

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George Kazuharu Naganuma
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Naganuma,George Kazuharu

Memories of the ship heading to the U.S.

(b. 1938) Japanese Peruvian incarcerated in Crystal City

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Robert T. Fujioka
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Fujioka,Robert T.

Grandfather's business in Hawaii while in camp

(b. 1952) Former banking executive, born in Hawaii

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