Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/689/

Japanese American railroad workers are fired following the bombing of Pearl Harbor

The FBI—my dad, in order to get to his mail job at Great Northern Railroad, had to go under the United Union Pacific, the Milwaukee Railroad tracks. And it was railroad track that came right through into Spokane. Great Northern was a block north of that station, Union Pacific, but Union Pacific was all on girders. And they came in, you had to walk up to the railroad station, and underneath, we had to walk through to get to the employment, railroad. And the FBI says, “No, you can't do that. You can't be caught walking under a bridge, we're afraid you might bomb it.” And so they fired every one of the Japanese, and there were a couple of Italians working there, Felice and Mancheny, Clark, were working there. And they couldn't handle, even with the new, whoever they hired for the mail, the mail was all screwed up, it was going all over the country instead of to the right destination. So after, I think, thirty days, they had to rehire all the Japanese again, so the mail started to run in the direction they were supposed to be going.


discrimination interpersonal relations racism railroads World War II

Date: March 15 & 16, 2006

Location: Washington, US

Interviewer: Megan Asaka

Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project.

Interviewee Bio

Nisei male. Born 1923 in Spokane, Washington. Spent childhood in downtown Spokane where parents ran the World Hotel. Father also worked as a mail handler for the Great Northern Railroad. Attended Lewis and Clark High School and Washington State University. During the war remembers seeing train cars pass through Spokane with Japanese Americans headed to Heart Mountain incarceration camp, Wyoming. Drafted into the army in 1944 and served at the Military Intelligence Service Language School in Fort Snelling, Minnesota and Presidio, California. After World War II, worked as a chick sexer in upstate New York and surrounding region for thirty years. Returned to Spokane in the mid-1970s and pursued a career in real estate. Currently lives with wife, Susie, in Spokane and is an active fly fisherman. (March 16, 2006 )

Margarida Tomi Watanabe
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Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Relief fund to support Japanese communities (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

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Margarida Tomi Watanabe
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Watanabe,Margarida Tomi

Role of Assistancia Social dom Jose Gaspar (Japanese)

(1900–1996) The mother of Nikkei Brazilian immigration

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Frank Emi
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Emi,Frank

Fair Play Committee

(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee

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Frank Emi
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Emi,Frank

Wanting to take a stand

(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee

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Frank Emi
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Emi,Frank

Ostracized by the camp newspapers

(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee

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Willie Ito
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Ito,Willie

December 7th, 1941

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

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Frank Emi
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Emi,Frank

On trial for draft evasion

(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee

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Frank Emi
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Emi,Frank

Fair Play Committee charged with conspiracy

(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee

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Frank Emi
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Emi,Frank

Arrested in camp for trying to leave

(1916-2010) draft resister, helped form the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee

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Willie Ito
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Ito,Willie

Dusty Weather at Topaz, Utah

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

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Willie Ito
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Ito,Willie

Mother in Camp

(b. 1934) Award-winning Disney animation artist who was incarcerated at Topaz during WWII

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Young O. Kim
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Kim,Young O.

Fully aware of discrimination in America

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

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Young O. Kim
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Kim,Young O.

They had to succeed

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

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Young O. Kim
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Kim,Young O.

People with talent in the 100th infantry battalion

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

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Young O. Kim
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Kim,Young O.

“Agreement of silence”

(1919 - 2006) World War II and Korean War veteran

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