Frank Tadao Matsuda oral history interview, part 1 of 3, August 25, 2007

Frank Tadao Matsuda is born on January 9, 1922, in Seattle, Washington. His father, Saiki Frank Matsuda, and mother, Masae Miyoshi, are from Japan. Frank has an older sister Aiko and a younger sister Kathryn Sumiko. Frank is closest to Aiko because he lives with her in Chicago post-war.

Frank grows up during the Great Depression. Although money is hard to earn during the Great Depression, Frank's father buys a house for around $2,000. Asians could not own homes or property because of the Alien Land Law. After camp, Frank's sister's name is on the deed because she is an American citizen.

The Matsuda family lives in the community of Ballard in Seattle. The demographic is predominately Scandinavian. Frank remembers there are four Japanese American families plus them. Frank has many friends on 69th Street.

Frank recalls December 7 and the evacuation orders, Executive Order 9066 (EO9066). He says the Japanese Americans becomes the most hated people after Pearl Harbor. The Matsuda family goes to Puyallup and Minidoka. He describes the living conditions and provisions in camp.

Frank did not stay at Minidoka for long. He takes the opportunity to work on a sugar beet farm in Idaho. Later he goes to Salt Lake City to work at a meatpacking company and restaurant.

2007OH0793_01_Matsuda

1922 Jan 09