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Oral
History C - E
ROBERT
COOMBS
Mr. Coombs,
77 years old, is a
Sacramento
native,
Stanford
University
graduate with a teaching credential and one of the finer
relocation center educators. He helped set up the school
curriculum at Minidoka and taught English and Social Sciences.
Teaching the Japanese American students was a job he took
seriously with dedication and pride. He lived among them in
camp, endured their hardships, shared their joys and became
closely acquainted with students and parents. He remained in
contact after the camps closed, after the war ended, and even to
this day. His late wife, Marguerite Askew, was also a teacher in
Minidoka, and taught Spanish and French.
FRANCES
CUMPSTON
This is an
Oral History of Frances Cumpston (77), Non-Nikkei, widowed and
native of
Florin
. She has good relationships with people and especially is a
good neighbor and friend to Japanese Americans, before, during
and after WW II. She was one of the very few present at the
train depot when all Japanese Americans departed for the
Relocation Centers. Parts of the text are more of a candid
discussion between the people presentóinterviewer, interviewee,
Percy Nakashima and his wife, Aileen.
Frances
mentions the positive influence of husband, Bill, their parents,
relatives and the local
Methodist
Church
. There is a brief discussionópro and con about Redress.
FUMIKO
DEGUCHI
Whether
living in
Japan
or in
America
, life seemed to be one of constant and courageous struggle for
Mrs. Deguchi, an Issei. She started with a sickly husband, and
lack of English was quite a handicap in
America
. She was head-of-household which included her own six children
and aged in-law parents. ìBeing poor was most difficult being
in America.î Yet, she liked the freedom and not being bound by
tradition and custom. She recalls learning to drive, taking the
driving test in English, making all the preparations to leave
for
Poston
Relocation
Center
, problems of resettling in
Florin
, and frequent poor relationship with in-laws. She is enjoying
old age and retirement with 17 grandchildren and 10 great
grandchildren around her.
JERRY AND
DOROTHY ENOMOTO
The life
story of Jerry Enomoto (71) is similar to the American Horatio
Alger and the legendary Japanese Ninomiya Kinjiro. From humble
beginnings he has achieved a position of citizenship and
responsibility receiving many honors and respect covering
seventy years. Born in
San Francisco
, he attended
Lowell
High School
and
Tule
Lake
(Relocation Camp) High School during WWII. After graduating from
UC Berkeley, he went to work as a counselor at Californiaís San
Quentin Prison, became the first California Asian American
Director of Corrections and first Asian American U. S. Marshal,
Eastern District of California. His service to the community
includes many JACL board positions including National JACL
President, 1966-70. This Oral History also includes an interview
with his wife, Dorothy (69), who was born in
Atlanta
,
Georgia
and shared high school valedictorian honors with Martin Luther
King, Jr. She is a former Deputy Director of Corrections of
California and is active in many community services in her own
right.
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