Interviews
Questioning Curfew
And, and then one day, I'm dashing home. "Hey Gordon, it's five to eight." I grabbed my stuff and it takes about five minutes to get home so I was just dashing home, and it hit me. A question that I should've faced earlier, just hit me. How come I'm dashing home and all your time keepers are still there? I didn't -- I just needed the question to be raised. I knew I couldn't answer it. You know, without saying, "I can't do it."
I turned around and went back to the library. "Hey, what's, what's the matter?" and I said, "Well, you guys are here." "Well, we got work to do." I said, "I got work to do, too. I decided if you guys are here, I'm gonna, I'm gonna work with you. I'll go back when you guys are ready to go." Nobody turned me in. And I didn't take that until it hit me. And when it hit me I knew, gosh, I can't do it. That's two-faced. The only reason I'm subject to go is because of my -- the way it's stated. I'm a person of Japanese ancestry. In fact, there were, there were Canadians in the group, who weren't even citizens, but they didn't have to go. Well, so I couldn't, I couldn't accept it.
Date: April 26, 1999
Location: Washington, US
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda, Alice Ito
Contributed by: Denshō: The Japanese American Legacy Project
Explore More Videos
Undergraduate studies interrupted following Pearl Harbor
(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores
Difficulty getting work during World War II
(b. 1921) Nisei businessman. Established "Made in Oregon" retail stores
His experiences in Chicago after WWII
(b.1929) Pioneer medical researcher in tissue transfer and organ transplantation.
Discharged from the U.S. Army after Pearl Harbor
(b. 1918) Founder Azumano Travel
Stereotypes about Japanese: past and present (Spanish)
(b. 1937) Professional journalist
Reaction to a 1942 speech by Mike Masaoka, Japanese American Citizen League's National Secretary
(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement
First impression of New York City during war time
(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement
Neighbors' sympathy after Pearl Harbor
(1915 - 2011) Nisei florist who resettled in New York City after WW II. Active in Japanese American civil rights movement
Interest in Japanese migration studies (Japanese)
Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history
Experiencing discrimination as a child
Co-founder and creative director of San Jose Taiko