Recalling Pinedale and Tule Lake concentration camps

Childhood shame for being Nikkei in Enumclaw, Washington Recalling Pinedale and Tule Lake concentration camps Impressions of student relocation in South Dakota Challenges of finding a summer job Why I joined the Japanese American Citizens League Becoming active in the Civil Rights Movement Figuring out a dollar amount for redress Deciding to serve on the CWRIC On hearing of CWRIC selection from Senator Inouye Personal feelings as a Nikkei commissioner A memorable CWRIC testimony of an unjust situation Understanding the passion behind the people giving testimonies Rationale for rejecting redress payment Post-redress future of Japanese Americans

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I was at each camp—Pinedale and Tule Lake—approximately three months. I’m only eighteen years old. And at that age, you don’t take things too seriously. It occurred to me that if I were a German or an Italian alien, I would be running around free. Yet, as an American, I am confined behind barbed wire. This obviously did not make sense. But other than that, I did things an eighteen year old might do—play baseball and try to make the best of things. I did want to get out of camp, and I did eventually make it [out] in the fall of 1942.

Date: August 27, 1998
Location: Pennsylvania, US
Interviewer: Darcie Iki, Mitchell Maki
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum

camps incarceration internment pinedale tule lake World War II