James Iso oral history interview, March 21, 2004

James Iso describes his family history, including where his parents immigrated from in Japan and their settlement in the United States. He talks about his siblings, about his childhood memories, and about attending Japanese language school.

James Iso describes the values that he learned from his family, about the Japanese culture and traditions. He talks about the difference between Japanese American assimilation into American society compared to other Asian American cultures, and…

James Iso describes growing up as a Japanese American, and his experiences with racial discrimination. He recalls the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the effects it brought within his life and the community.

James Iso describes his journey to Santa Anita Temporary Detention Center and Heart Mountain Concentration Camp, the living conditions there, and the process in which community life was constructed within Heart Mountain. He talks about volunteering…

James Iso describes his experience being stationed in Occupied Japan, where he was assigned to ATIS (Allied Translator and Intelligence Service) and conducted work in the Washington Documents Center. He talks about his wife and about attending…

James Iso talks about his children, highlights about his military service during the occupation of Japan and the Korean War. He describes his role in "Project American" and about his time spent in Vietnam.

James Iso recalls his duties in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and about his experiences working for the government after completing his military career. At the end of the interview, Iso shares some memorabilia from his military service.