Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/662/

Reflecting on Japanese Americans' response to incarceration

I think they should have thought of things more. They shouldn't have felt guilty of being a Japanese. They should be proud that they're Japanese and express their feeling, and objected. If they had objected right in the beginning, maybe things like this may not have happened. Maybe something worse might have happened. Who knows? But, the first thing was, let's be obedient and find out what they're going to do to us because they said they're gonna take care of us. And we didn't know to what extent. But as it turned out, it was more like an internee in a concentration camp and when that comes about, you start thinking. And I thought that a lot of the people thought the way I did that this is not right, they're not treating me right so I'm going to rebel. And as I said, it surprised me that a lot of the people didn't think that way. 'Cause I don't feel guilty of what I did. I don't feel guilty that I'm, because I'm a Japanese. I'm an American citizen, born and raised, and you can't take that away from me as a citizenship.


discrimination draft resisters interpersonal relations resisters World War II

Date: July 25, 1997

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Larry Hashima, Stephen Fugita

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Nisei male. Born 1925 in Seattle, Washington. Spent prewar childhood in Seattle's Nihonmachi. Incarcerated at Puyallup Assembly Center, Washington, and Minidoka incarceration camp, Idaho. Refused to participate in draft, imprisoned at McNeil Island Penitentiary, Washington, for resisting the draft. Resettled in Seattle. (July 25, 1997)

George Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,George

Losing job with railroad because of being Japanese American

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

en
ja
es
pt
George Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,George

A racist encounter at a movie theater following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

en
ja
es
pt
George Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,George

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

(b. 1923) Chick sexer

en
ja
es
pt
Margaret Oda
en
ja
es
pt
Oda,Margaret

Gender discrimination in education field

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

en
ja
es
pt
Margaret Oda
en
ja
es
pt
Oda,Margaret

Father interrogated by FBI, but not taken away

(1925 - 2018) Nisei educator from Hawai‘i

en
ja
es
pt
Roberto Hirose
en
ja
es
pt
Hirose,Roberto

The political effects on Nikkei during the war (Spanish)

(b. 1950) Nisei Chilean, Businessman

en
ja
es
pt
Kazuomi Takagi
en
ja
es
pt
Takagi,Kazuomi

No discrimination in Argentina (Spanish)

(1925-2014) La Plata Hochi, Journalist

en
ja
es
pt
Luis Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,Luis

Suffering in World War II (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Luis Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,Luis

Joined Japanese Imperial Army during the WWII (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Luis Yamada
en
ja
es
pt
Yamada,Luis

Proud to be a Japanese desecendant (Spanish)

(b. 1929) Nisei Argentinean

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Relief fund to support Japanese communities (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Role of Assistancia Social dom Jose Gaspar (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Margarida Tomi Watanabe
en
ja
es
pt
Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Interrogation by police (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Shimizu
en
ja
es
pt
Shimizu,Henry

No immediate impact after Pearl Harbor

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

en
ja
es
pt
Henry Shimizu
en
ja
es
pt
Shimizu,Henry

Treatment of Japanese fishermen in Canada during World War II

(b. 1928) Doctor. Former Chair of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation.

en
ja
es
pt