Partial Transcript: Dan explains the meaning of his last name "Uchimoto" in Japanese. In Japan, "Uchimoto" means original home. "Uchi" means a kind of home, "Moto" means original home or basic home. Growing up, besides farming, Dan's parents have a goldfish business and gas pumping station. Dan recalls working at the gas pump, the gold business, and caring for his siblings while his parents work on the farm.

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; employment; farming; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Japanese identity and values; Nisei; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Dan shares his experiences working the gas pump cash register and the goldfish business. Dan says life is a struggle, but he is grateful for the learning opportunities. During World Word Two, Dan is a sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley, and comes home in 1942. Dan and his family go to an assembly center in Turlock and then Gila River. Dan's brother goes to Swarthmore College and his sister, Amy attends Boston University for a year. Dan wants a chance to return to school. He discusses Selman Waksman at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Later, Dan learns he cannot get clearance to go to Rutgers University because of a military installation.

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Keywords: Assembly Centers; childhood activities; employment; Executive Order 9066; Gila River; high school; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings; Turlock; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Dan receives a scholarship offer from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. With encouragement from his mother, Dan takes the offer at Loras College. At Loras, Dan meets a school teacher Emma Trenk, from Dubuque High School, The two become good friends. Dan recalls during Christmas time, he has to leave the school dormitory for a few weeks and Emma gives him lodging. Emma is influential to Dan because she encourages him to be himself. Before attending Loras College, Dan's life is limited to the Suisun farm and University California, Berkeley. Dan is grateful for the different opportunities.

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Keywords: farm; farming; friendship; higher education; Japanese Americans; Nisei; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Dan discusses the goldfish business. Dan's parents sell goldfishes in a glass bowl aquarium. Besides selling goldfishes, Dan's parents also sell gas. They have a single gas pump station.

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Keywords: employment; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: Dan's parents allow their customers to buy gas on credit. Gas costs between fifteen and twenty cents a gallon. Eventually, Dan's parents close the gas pump because they were losing money. The customers were not paying their credit. His parents also decide to close the goldfish business because the highway route changes. This causes less traffic coming to the front of their business. The official name of the goldfish business is Suisun Goldfish Company.

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Keywords: Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: Dan is the class of 1939 at Armijo High School. In high school, he knows about the War in Europe between Russian and Germany. On December 7, Dan is a student at the University of California, Berkeley. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Dan says some of the professors at Berkeley are biased. Dan recalls the Anthropology professor at Berkeley, would discard him when he would pass by. Dan also mentions his younger sister's experience. She is in eighth grade when Pearl Harbor happens and the school Principal makes a culturally insensitive comment.

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; discrimination; European Theater; high school; Japanese Americans; Nisei; race discrimination; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: After the Pearl Harbor attack, Dan says some of the professors at Berkeley are biased. Dan recalls the Anthropology professor at Berkeley, would discard him when he would pass by. Dan feels disappointed by his treatment but it is life. Dan also mentions his younger sister's experience. She is in eighth grade when Pearl Harbor happens and the school Principal makes a culturally insensitive comment. Despite experiencing discrimination, some individuals are kind. Dan says some of the people who they deal with for the farming business express their sympathy about the evacuation orders. The higher the education does not necessarily mean there is less discrimination or less prejudice.

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Keywords: "evacuation"; Americans of Japanese Ancestry; Executive Order 9066; farm; farming; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; prejudices; racism; siblings; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: After Pearl Harbor, the FBI comes to the Uchimoto home and takes Dan's father away. During the two to three years Dan's father is gone, he is sent to Crystal City, Texas; Lordsburg, New Mexico; and North Dakota. Dan's father did not do anything illegal or wrong. He is secretary for the Japanese Association who takes down minutes at a meeting. The absence of Dan's father is hard for Dan's mother and Dan comes home. Some of Dan's family friends tell Dan and his family to go to Colorado or Utah for farming. At first, Dan's mother is ok with the idea but then feels the best thing to do is go into the relocation camp. Dan says looking back at his mother's decision is a good choice for them. Those who voluntarily move to Colorado, experience a different type of hardship.

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Keywords: "evacuation"; Americans of Japanese Ancestry; community leaders; Executive Order 9066; family; interrogate; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Pearl Harbor; relocation centers; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Dan's family owns a Model T for a long time. When Dan goes to high school, his family buys a used 1931 Model A Ford. For the farm business, the family buys a used truck, an old Model B Ford for approximately $175 to $165. The truck needs an engine overhaul and Dan's parents pay extra money to overhaul the engine. Dan's parents also buy an old 1929 Chevrolet Ford truck that needs a lot of repairs. When Executive Order 9066 is announced, the Uchimoto family goes to the relocation camp and sells their vehicles to a Chinese farmer. Dan says when the evacuation orders are announced, he is busy packing and getting their affairs in order. The family is only allowed to bring what they can carry into camp.

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Keywords: Executive Order 9066; farm; farming; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: In high school, Dan goes to Treasure Island. Dan does not go on family outings because his father enjoys his time at home. In 1942, Dan is a sophomore at Berkeley. After graduating high school in 1939, Dan works on the farm to save money to enroll in college. Therefore, he registers at Berkeley in the fall of 1940. Dan rents a room near campus. Dan's mother recommends to him to be a "schoolboy." A "schoolboy" or "school girl" is a Japanese student who lives with a Caucasian family. The rent is free because the "schoolboy" or "schoolgirl" does housework in exchange for free room and board. Dan tries being a "schoolboy" but ends up breaks dishes. The lady tells Dan she cannot hire him. Dan decides to rent a room near campus for around $20 or $25 a month.

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Keywords: employment; farm; farming; high school; higher education; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: Before World War Two, Dan attends the University of California, Berkeley. Dan rents a room near campus on Durant Avenue. Later, Dan lives at the Berkeley Co-Op house. At the Co-Op, Dan says you work approximately three to four hours a week and get free meals. Dan says beside going to school full time, he works part-time. Dan recalls his first year, he works part-time at the Newman Hall in Berkeley. Newman Hall is a Catholic student facility. Dan's tasks every Saturday are sweeping, dusting, and mopping. For every hour, Dan earns almost fifty cents. When it is football season, on Saturdays, Dan collects money at the parking lot.

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Keywords: employment; high school; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: After Dan's military service in World War Two, he goes back to school on his GI Bill. In addition to school, Dan works part-time on Saturdays for a dollar an hour. Dan works at a home in Oakland, CA, for a mother and daughter. Dan shares his experience working at this house. The lady of the house makes Dan clean the bathroom and floors with his hands.

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Keywords: higher education; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Nisei veterans

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Partial Transcript: Since freshman year in high school, Dan wants to be a pharmacist. However, Dan's mother does not like the idea. Dan's mother wants him to major in a field that is associated with a cannery. Then Dan takes classes in food science. When World War Two happens, Dan stops going to school and starts his military career. He attends school on the east coast before coming back to California. Dan also finds work for six months at an apple product plant. Later, Dan decides to continue his education and get his master's at Berkeley in wine fermentation to be a wine technician. He describes the duties of being a wine technologist. One day, Dan goes on an interview at Gallo Winery in Modesto, CA. Dan is offered the job but declined. Although Dan is trained to be a winery fermentation chemist, he does not go into the field. Dan says he is weak to alcohol. Overall attending Berkeley, Dan has a nice, pleasant experience.

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Keywords: employment; higher education; Japanese Americans; Nisei; post-war

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Partial Transcript: Dan says attending Berkeley is a nice experience. He enjoys the classes, but the school is difficult to get high grades. The professors are wonderful people. Dan lists some of the professors who are impactful to his education such as Professor Cruess and the animal nutrition professor. After Dan's military service, he is in Chicago for a while. During the summertime, Dan is taking classes at the University of Chicago. A professor at school advises Dan to attend school and work where there is less prejudice. Dan thinks about it but does not like the winter weather in the midwest. After discussing the situation with his mother, Dan's mother tells him to go back to California. Dan returns to California for school.

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Keywords: education; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; post-war; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: When Dan's father is taken away by the FBI, his father corresponds with his mother periodically. However, the letters are subjected to censorship. Dan's father did not do anything wrong. His father is a volunteer worker for a Japanese Association. Dan says anyone with questionable loyalty is taken away to a detention camp. When President Roosevelt passes the Executive Oder 9066, Dan feels like it is unfair.

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Keywords: correspondence; enemy alien; Issei; Japanese Americans; Nisei; temporary detention centers; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: In the relocation camp, a questionnaire is given. Dan discusses the "no-no" and "yes-yes" answers. Anyone who answers "no, no," goes to Leavenworth, Kansas for three years. Anyone who answers "no, yes," remains in camp. Anyone who answers "yes, yes," is drafted into the Army. Dan answers "yes-yes." Dan leaves camp and attends Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa when he receives his draft notice.

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Keywords: Executive Order 9066; friendship; higher education; Issei; Japanese Americans; Nisei; relocation centers; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Dan and his mother are Gila River. Dan leaves camp and attends school at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Loras College is a small Catholic college serving Catholic students who are going into the priesthood. Loras did not offer the same classes as Berkeley, so Dan takes basic college courses like chemistry. When Dan returns to Berkeley, his class credits at Loras are not transferable. Therefore, it takes Dan five years to get his Bachelor of Science degree at Berkeley. Dan says his time in Iowa, he does not experience any discrimination. Dan is grateful for his experiences and the friends he meets in Iowa.

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Keywords: discrimination; higher education; Japanese Americans; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: Dan describes the Gila River relocation camp. Arizona is a hot and dry climate. Every so often there would be dust storms. At camp, Dan has a job as a plumber's assistant and is paid sixteen dollars a month. At every block at camp, there are guards stationed at guard towers. If you want to leave camp, you need to get permission. For mealtime, you have to line up in the mess hall. In the living quarters, there is one room for a family. The restroom is a shared space. There is no privacy

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: "evacuation"; barracks; employment; Executive Order 9066; family; Issei; Issei parents; living conditions; Nisei; relocation centers

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