James Kobayashi oral history interview, part 2 of 4, November 21, 2004

Files

Dublin Core

Description

Besides attending primary school, James Jin Kobayashi attends a Japanese Language School. At home, he speaks half English and Japanese to his Issei parents.

James recalls the day of the bombing of Pearl harbor. He says it is regular business at the Kobayashi's family restaurant. However, the following days after, business slowed down. In San Bernardino, there are not many effects on Japanese Americans because not a lot of Japanese Americans lived in the area. Many of the Japanese farmers moved to Coachella and Riverside because the farming soil is better.

The bombing of Pearl harbor created restrictions such as a curfew and a notice of evacuation for Japanese Americans. The Kobayashi family sells their restaurant and temporarily lives at the Japanese Church before evacuation.

James describes arriving at Poston, Arizona, and living conditions. James is at Poston for a year for going to Utah and Chicago for work. In Chicago, he receives his draft notice and beings his Army life.

Format

video/m4v

Identifier

2004OH0519_02_Kobayashi

Oral History Item Type Metadata

Date of Birth

1921 Nov 25

Location of Birth

Incarceration Facilities

War or Conflict

Branch of Service

Entrance into Service

Location of Basic Training

Citation

Kobayashi, James: narrator, Wasserman, Steven: interviewer, and Go For Broke National Education Center: publisher, “James Kobayashi oral history interview, part 2 of 4, November 21, 2004,” Japanese American Military History Collective, accessed March 19, 2024, https://ndajams.omeka.net/items/show/1051033.