Shigeru Hayashi and Hitoshi Sameshima oral history interview, part 1 of 3, January 10, 2009
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Identity+and+values--Family">Identity and values--Family</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Identity+and+values">Identity and values</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=World+War+II--Pearl+Harbor+and+aftermath">World War II--Pearl Harbor and aftermath</a>
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Hitoshi Sameshima and Shigeru Hayashi begin the interview introducing themselves and talking about what it was like to grow up in California. They also talk about their family background and how their parents came to California, one ending up in Salinas, while the other ended up in Pasadena. They also talk about their childhoods, including jobs that they took up while attending school and Japanese language school. Next, they talk about their family values, which included not brining shame on the family name and all the Japanese influences that they had growing up. Sameshima talks about growing up in Pasadena and being around Jackie Robinson and how athletic he was. He would then head to college at USC where he would go until he was drafted into the Army. They also talk about their whereabouts during the attacks on Pearl Harbor and how they came to join the Army.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Hayashi%2C+Shigeru%3A+narrator">Hayashi, Shigeru: narrator</a>
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<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center%3A+publisher">Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=48&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center">Go For Broke National Education Center</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=40&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2009+January+10">2009 January 10</a>
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2009OH0958_01_Hayashi
Noel Tsuneishi oral history interview, part 1 of 8, February 22, 2003
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Identity+and+values--Family">Identity and values--Family</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Industry+and+employment">Industry and employment</a>
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Tsuneishi begins his interview going through his family background, speaking about his father and mother and their journeys to Monrovia. Next, he talks about his responsibilities growing up on a farm and the recreational activities. After that, he discusses the different values he learned from his parents and later, seeing the differences in culture on a trip to Japan.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Tsuneishi%2C+Noel%3A+narrator">Tsuneishi, Noel: narrator</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Miyamoto%2C+Phil%3A+interviewer">Miyamoto, Phil: interviewer</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center%3A+publisher">Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=48&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center">Go For Broke National Education Center</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=40&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2003+February+22">2003 February 22</a>
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2003OH0328_01_Tsuneishi
Hitoshi Sameshima oral history interview, part 2 of 8, February 24, 2002
Growing up in Pasadena, CA, Hitoshi G. Sameshima's favorite event is the Rose Parade. He recalls attending the Rose Parade at age four and has attended every year.
As a child, Hitoshi's knowledge of Japan is shaped by his parents and Japanese Language School. In 1928, Hitoshi's mother and sisters travel to Japan. Hitoshi has an opportunity to go to Japan during the military occupation.
On December 7, Hitoshi is a junior at the University of Southern California (USC), majoring in Foreign Trade. Hitoshi remembers hearing about the Pearl Harbor attack on his way to school.
Hitoshi recalls the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. December 7, have effects on the Sameshima family members. Hitoshi says his father is questioned by the FBI, Hitoshi's older sister loses her job and Hitoshi receives notice to leave USC.
In March of 1942, the Japanese Americans relocated to assembly centers. There are 16 assembly centers along the coast where the Japanese Americans are interned for three to four months before going to camp.
Hitoshi discusses evacuation and going to camp. Although Hitoshi is going to camp, he wants to continue his education. He receives an acceptance letter from the University of Denver, April 1943. Before going to Denver, Hitoshi signs a loyalty oath. In June 1944, Hitoshi receives a draft notice from Army.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Sameshima%2C+Hitoshi%3A+narrator">Sameshima, Hitoshi: narrator</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Sato%2C+Christine%3A+interviewer">Sato, Christine: interviewer</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center%3A+publisher">Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher</a>
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2002OH0249_02_Sameshima
Hitoshi Sameshima oral history interview, part 1 of 8, February 24, 2002
Hitoshi G. Sameshima is born April 13, 1921, in Pasadena, CA. His parents are from the southern part of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Hitoshi grows up in Pasadena, where his parents operate a laundry business until wartime. Hitoshi has three siblings, an older sister, Fumiko, brother Kenji Jack, and a younger sister Fujiko.
At home, Hitoshi's Issei parents teach him and his siblings Shushin - Japanese morals and values. For example, honor the family, study hard, persevere, and Ganbare. Besides attending primary school, Hitoshi attends Japanese Language School and kendo. At home, Hitoshi speaks Japanese.
Growing up in Pasadena, Hitoshi attends the Pasadena Unified School District throughout his school years. The school district is a cosmopolitan demographic with diversity. As a child, Hitoshi feels everyone is the same despite coming from different ancestry. After graduating High School, Hitoshi works part-time to pay for his tuition at the University of Southern California.
He recalls his childhood friends and their Military service during World War Two.
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<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center%3A+publisher">Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher</a>
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2002OH0249_01_Sameshima
Manabu Sakamoto oral history interview, part 1 of 7, March 27, 2004
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Religion+and+churches--Buddhism">Religion and churches--Buddhism</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Identity+and+values--Family">Identity and values--Family</a>
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Sakamoto begins the interview talking about his family coming from Japan and settling in Los Angeles, California. There, his father would begin a flower business and collect birds, even joining a club that would trade them. He also talks about his siblings and their background. The family would follow a Buddhist religion, attending Higashi Honganji. Next, he talks about what it was like to grow up in Los Angeles, including the friends he made and the holidays he would celebrate.
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<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Horsting%2C+Richard%3A+interviewer">Horsting, Richard: interviewer</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center%3A+publisher">Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=48&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Go+For+Broke+National+Education+Center">Go For Broke National Education Center</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=40&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2004+March+27">2004 March 27</a>
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<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=44&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=eng">eng</a>
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2004OH0424_01_Sakamoto