Mitsuo Tominaga describes his personal feelings about WWII and serving during the war. Next he recounts some post war racial discrimination and meeting family in Japan. Lastly he discusses the immigrant experience in America and the importance of…
Uchida describes walking to and from school through the mountainous terrain where he lived. An avid surfer, he describes building his own surfboard out of inferior materials for lack of balsa wood. Later, he describes his role in the popular…
Matsumura discusses his family background in Hawaii and hearing about the attack of Pearl Harbor on the radio. He volunteered to defend water and power installations as a civilian in the aftermath of the attack, and later enlisted into the Army. He…
Tamura describes post-War life in the United States, both moving to different military installations and his return to civilian life. He describes his attempt to revive the family truck farming business, but it proved unprofitable so he farmed…
Miyamoto describes his survival strategies at various military bases on the U.S. Mainland. He was valued for his skill as payroll and personnel officer and then he transferred to Camp Hale from Camp Carson. He did not encounter discrimination for…
Miyamoto recalls his experiences at various military encampments including Camp Robinson in Arkansas, and Camps Carson and Hale in Colorado. His family was incarcerated at Granada (Amache) Concentration Camp, and he recalls being denied access to…
Doiwchi discusses high school and graduation, the Japanese American community while growing up, childhood activities such as selling newspapers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and attending Nisei dances; and discusses businesses located in…
Matsunaga speaks about joining the Army and beginning his training at Schofield Barracks in Honolulu. From there, he was promoted to corporal and eventually to buck sergeant as he decided to volunteer for the 442nd regiment. They were shipped out to…
Saiki discusses his experiences being a Hawaii Territorial Guard after Pearl Harbor attack and how he enlisted in the 442 Regiment after he declined joining the Varsity Victory Volunteers. He talks about how his family reacted to his enlisted. He…
Teraoka talks about his mother and her cooking; and his family’s tradition making mochi around New Year’s. He then talks about being raised buddhist, going to Japanese school and attending a New Year’s celebration; and describes growing up on a…
Morishima reflects on the ethnic slurs directed towards him and those that he directed towards others. He explains that, as children, there was rarely always mal-intent behind the use of such terms. He then describes his passage to Japan for…
Naito discusses his experiences living in Kent, Washington before and up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He grew up on a farm and married a German-American woman, these events made an impact on his internment experiences. He also discusses his…
When Rudy Tokiwa came back to Salinas after the war, the Harrington family took him in. He had been good friends with Mrs. Harrington's son (all five sons were killed in action in the Philippines), and she saw him as her sixth son. Because of this,…
Nishijima describes the Issei philosophy of "shikata ga nai." He talks about his experiences with racial discrimination. He recalls being forcibly removed from his home in connection with Executive Order 9066.
In this video clip, Ray Nosaka talks about his family and growing up in Hawai'i. He recalls instances where he faced racial discrimination in the work force.
