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Oral
History M
YOSHIRO
WILLIAM MATSUHARA
Mr.
Matsuhara (79) was interviewed by Non-Nikkei Donald Walker,
Public History student, CSUS. There are three pages of photos
and 107 pages of text from four tapes. This is one of the better
and interesting oral histories which discusses Matsuhara's
pre-war situation among the Nikkei in
Sacramento
, life in hectic
Tule
Lake
and Topaz, with MIS in
SE Asia
, his several after-the-WWII jobs, and many community
involvements. His life is a study of two cultures (American and
Asian), of civilian and military life, of private and government
work, and of Buddhism and Christianity. As with all minorities,
incidents of discrimination are mentioned. He just didnít have
time for politics. His two sons were put through college and
have Non-Nikkei wives. The daughter Colleen is a successful
college and pro basketball coach. The oral history concludes
with his hope for better human relations.
BILL
MATSUMOTO
This Oral
History depicts Bill Matsumoto (78) as "All-Nikkei" or
"All-Nisei" due to his wide contacts, many interests
and community involvement. For a time, he was dubbed "Mr.
Sacramento." He tells about living through the Great
Depression of the '30s; pre-war anti-Japanese feelings; what it
was really like living in Tule Lake Camp after getting married
to May Kumasaki in November, 1941; going to Amache and its
comparison to Tule Lake. They returned to
West Sacramento
and he went into the produce, life insurance and travel
businesses. He encourages younger people to be proud and loyal
and not forget their Nikkei heritage.
GEORGE
MATSUMOTO
Mr.
Matsumoto, now age 76, began life in
Sebastopol
,
CA
where his parents were migrant workers. He says,"I went to
seven different schools before the six grade." Having a
strong entrepreneurial spirit, he kept moving in terms of kinds
of work and places resided. He voluntarily relocated to
Salt Lake City
during WWII while his mother went to the Amache, CO camp.
Finally settling in
Stockton
with wife, Amy, he successfully started a Red Wing Shoe Store
and subsequently opened branches in
Yakima
,
WA
, north
Stockton
, and
Modesto
. He obtained only a high school education, but his three
children all earned doctorates and a scholarship fund has been
set up through the Stockton JACL.
GEORGE MIYAO
Eighty-one
years old Mr. Miyao interviewed in Japanese and English with
wife, Masaye, present. There are seven pages of photos,
forty-two pages of text, twenty pages of handwritten ěhistory
of Florin Buddhist Churchî and miscellaneous material. Japanese
words and phrases, "broken English" abound; the whole
oral history rambles along. Experiences in Jerome and Amache
camps and several Army Military centers are mentioned as well as
his activity in the Florin JACL and
Buddhist
Church
.
DAVE MORSE
Mr. Morse
(70) a Non-Nikkei and friendly to Japanese Americans, is a
native and permanent resident of Elk Grove area south of
Sacramento
. This Oral History has seven pages of photos and thirty-five
pages of text. Military service consists of four years stateside
in the Air Force. Contacts with Japanese Americans are mentioned
as a student beginning at
Elk
Grove
High School
,
Sacramento
City
College
and Sacramento State College where he was the "first
student enrolled in 1947." After earning a teaching
credential, he taught at a couple of local colleges and later
worked as a counselor. Regarding the internment, the war in
general and the aftermath, he says, "everyone got hurt;
educating the young people is best."
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