JANE A.

Jane A. was interned in Poston, Arizona as a child

Interview Courtesy of Nadine Rousseau

 

How has your Japanese American family coped with their experience of internment?

They’re very quiet about it. We’re a strange kind of animal…we never speak much on the past. My uncle has talked about sneaking photographs back and forth between the camps because some of the men and women were separated. Otherwise, there were no complaints from my parents. There was no bitterness. My family worked very hard. They wanted to move on with their lives. As I grew older, people would come up to me and apologize, but the experience is something I have let go of. America isn’t perfect. I was raised to love my country and to believe I could take part in American society, partly so something like internment would never happen again. 

 

How do you want this chapter of American history to be remembered?

A number of years ago, I gave a talk to children in elementary school. Kids asked, “Weren’t you afraid?” I said no. This experience doesn’t need to be remembered as something shameful for Japanese Americans. One photo that frustrates me is a picture of children in an internment camp leaning against barbed wire with the wind blowing in their face. This was not a Holocaust. We have been resilient and forgiving. I love America very much. I hope we can learn to live in peace. We all need to have more happiness.

 

How do you feel about the 442nd?

They were truly amazing. They inspired courage in so many people, which is much better than embarrassment and shame. Maybe it’s the bushido code of the samurai, but we Japanese Americans uphold our honor.