Partial Transcript: William Yoshito Thompson is a World War Two veteran who volunteered for the 442nd (Head Quarters 2nd Battalion). He is born March 15, 1924, in Hilo, Hawaii. His father is from Scotland, Ireland, and moved to Hawaii. He remains a British subject and is not able to become a citizen because of paperwork. His mother is born in Hamakuapko plantation on Maui. Her parents are from Hiroshima, Japan. William's grandfather is a fisherman and relocates to Hilo, Hawaii. William's mother has an older brother. William never meets his grandfather. He passes away before William is born.

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Keywords: 442nd; Hawaii; Issei; Nisei; plantation; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: William's grandfather passes away before he is born. He is a successful fisherman. However, he recalls seeing photographs of him. There is a family reunion coming up, which leads William to research his family history at the Department of Health. The documentation for his mother's birth certificate and grandmother's death certificate show different names for his grandfather. He is still waiting for the Department of Health for the confirmation of his grandfather's name. William also explains the differences between his last name and his father's last name. Willam has three uncles on his mother's side. The oldest uncle is a carpenter for a railroad company in Hilo, and the other uncle is strong and can carry things.

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Keywords: employment; family; Hapa; Hawaii; Japanese Americans

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Partial Transcript: William's mother has three brothers and a sister. William's mother is the oldest in the family. William describes his Issei grandmother on his mother's side. She would speak Japanese to William, and he would speak English. He remembers seeing his grandmother often when he visits his cousins. William describes her as passionate and kind. His grandmother passes away in 1944.

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; Hapa; Hawaii; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese identity and values; Nisei; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: William's father is a blacksmith from a town called Kirkcaldy, Scotland. Kirkcaldy is a town known for its steel mills. Before immigrating to Hawaii, he travels through Canada first. William's father marries his mother in 1917. During the early 1900's it is rare for mixed marriages. William describes his father as not tall, heavyset, and enjoyed smoking a pipe. He works for the railroad company and is well known for his talents as a blacksmith and welder.

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Keywords: family; Hapa; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: William describes his mother with Japanese identity and values. She is a hard worker and is the rock of the family. Although she is an authoritative person in the household, she is always supportive and encourages her children. William has five siblings. From oldest to youngest: Elsa, James, George, William, Robert, and Andrew.

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Keywords: child rearing; family; Hawaii; homemaking; Japanese identity and values; Nisei; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: Williams describes his childhood home as a two-story frame home that is "standard" for that period. There are three bedrooms, a parlor, a dining room, and a kitchen. Although William's mother grows up in a traditional Japanese family home, their home life is a mixture of Japanese and Scottish culture. For meals, there is a variety of dishes. The meals are cooked on a kerosene stove and an outdoor fireplace to cook the rice in a kamado. The family eats Japanese food, and sometimes his father would eat potatoes and steaks.

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Keywords: family; Hapa; Hawaii; Japanese Americans; Japanese identity and values; living conditions; Nisei; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: Williams describes meals eaten at home. The meals are a mix of Japanese and western such as steaks, mash potatoes, fried potatoes, and bread. Williams discusses the irony of his father remaining a British subject due to missing paperwork, and during World War Two, his mother is classified as an alien. Neither of his parents carries the traditions of respecting the Emperor of Japan or the British Monarchy.

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Keywords: Hapa; Hawaii; living conditions; Nisei; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: William says his mother goes to Daijingu or Hongwanji. She used to be a religious person, and William would go along with her to temples. William says Daijingu is hard to understand than Hongwanji. Daijingu is Shintoism. At their home, William says there are no shrines or religious artifacts. Growing up, William recalls there is electricity in the household. There is one electric light bulb hanging from the ceiling. The family home is in a subdivision, and they get city water.

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Keywords: Hapa; Hawaii; Japanese Americans; Japanese identity and values; Nisei; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: Williams says there is no hot water during his childhood. When he gets older, their house has a water heater. As a child, he remembers bathing an ofuro at his grandmother's house. The ofuro is made from redwood and heated by firewood. The family members take turns keeping the fire flaming, and there is no specific order for who bathes first. The neighborhood that William grows up in is a mixed demographic but mainly Japanese.

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Keywords: family; Hawaii; Hawaiian identity; Issei; Japanese Americans; Japanese identity and values; Nisei; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: William develops his close friendships at school. His elementary school is one of the largest schools. However, the 1946 tidal wave destroys the school. William's first exposure to dental hygiene is in elementary school. He remembers the students having to brush their teeth before class starts. He recalls Ms. Martin because after he graduates, she gives him a dictionary. He lists some other teachers from the elementary school: Ms. Miyamoto, Ms. Orzorio, Ms. Erickson, Ms. Nakano, and Mr. Bill Henry.

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Keywords: childhood activities; Hawaii; Japanese Americans; primary school; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: William is a good student in History class. Other classes he enjoys are Math, English, and Social Studies. Besides attending primary school, William goes to a Japanese School. He remembers the phrase, " after English School, I am going to Japanese School." Williams intermediate school is some distance away from the Japanese School. If he wants to save money for the weekend, he can walk. Otherwise, riding the bus is an option. On the weekends, William enjoys watching movies such as cowboy genres.

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Keywords: childhood activities; education; Hapa; Japanese Americans; Sansei; secondary education

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Partial Transcript: There are two movie theaters close to William's house. However, there are movie theaters uptown within walking distance. William would watch American and Japanese movies. He would accompany his mother sometimes to watch Japanese shows. There are no subtitles for the Japanese shows, but there is Benshi (a Japanese performer to give live narrations). As a child, William says he has two sets of heroes - cowboys, and samurais.

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Keywords: childhood activities; Hawaii; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: In Hilo, there are no beaches, but there are swimming coves. William says he would go swimming with his friends at the coves. The only one thing you would need to be cautious about is the eels inside the wall cracks of the coves. William describes games that he would play, and he is briefly in the Boys Scouts.

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Keywords: children; friendship; Hawaii; Japanese Americans; Sansei; youth organizations

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Partial Transcript: In High School, William's goal is getting qualified for college. He says you need classes such as Algebra, Trigonometry, Social Studies, English Literature, and a language class. For a language class, William takes Spanish, but he wishes he learns French alternatively (since he is in France during World War Two). All his teachers are influential to his educations. He says one teacher got him into acting. William would have like to play football, but due to his weight size, he is the football manager instead.

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Keywords: education; Hapa; Japanese Americans; Sansei; sports

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Partial Transcript: During William's youth, he helps with chores around the house. His primary duty is yard work. The yard work is mainly by hand or with a gardening hoe. Even in High School, William continues to do chores at home. On the weekend, William would go to his uncle's house and do yard work there. In 1941, William graduates from High School. William discusses hearing about world news. The only time William hears about the events in Japan is on the newsreel in the movie theater. He did not give much thought to the events in Japan, and he says his parents did not express any opinions about the situation overseas. The only time William feels concerned is in 1939 when Germany invades Poland because of the effects it will bring to the United States.

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; childhood activities; education; Germany; Hapa; Japanese Americans; Sansei

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Partial Transcript: After graduating from High School, William works at a Service Station as an attendant. On Sunday, December 7, William is working and sees cars driving speeding by. William sense something is happening. Around noon the Station Supervisor tells William that the station is closing for the day and for the employees to go home; war is starting. William goes home and hears the news of the attack.

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Keywords: employment; Hapa; Hawaii; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Sansei; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: William changes his job from the Service Station to working for the County of Hawaii in the County garage. William's father also works in the County Garage working on equipment. At the time, the County's project is the cross-island road. The road now is called the Saddle Road. William describes his father's skill as a blacksmith.

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Keywords: employment; Hapa; Hawaii; Japanese Americans

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Partial Transcript: William says it is marvelous seeing his father transform metal such as picks and welding the scrapers of bulldozers. He describes how his father forges metal together. William works with his father at the County of Hawaii for a year.

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Keywords: employment; Hapa; Hawaii; Japanese Americans

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Partial Transcript: When William is working at the County of Hawaii, there is a 27th Division (New York Division), and part of their staff would come into the County garage to use their equipment. William got to know them pretty well, and that group goes to the Guadalcanal Campaign. He recalls his father's craftsmanship as a blacksmith. William says you can tell the difference between his father's work and a different blacksmith.

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Keywords: employment; family; Hapa; Hawaii

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Partial Transcript: After a year at the County of Hawaii, William hears the Army is looking for volunteers. William decides on his own to join the Army to do his service for the Country. William tells his parents, and he finds out that his older brother joins the Army as well when they both receive the notice of acceptance. William's other brother is drafted earlier in November and is already at Schofield. William says if you are a Nisei in the Army, there are restrictions about carrying weapons.

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Keywords: draft; family; Hapa; Japanese Americans; Schofield Barracks; siblings; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: William says the 100th is the National Guard Unit. The Nisei soldiers already at Schofield are not assigned to a division yet. Schofield did not know how to use the Nisei soldiers. When William's group arrive at Schofield, Schofield asks the draftees if they want to volunteer for the 442nd. Approximately 230 to volunteer to join the 442nd. In William's group, there are three of them that also join the 442nd. Both William and his older brother tell their mother that they have joined the 442nd. William says, fortunately, their uncle is there to show support and console his mother (she is sad). His mother's first reaction is quiet. His father is proud that his sons signed up.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: family; Hapa; Hawaii; Japanese American soldiers; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Nisei soldiers; Schofield Barracks; siblings; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: William discusses his mother's United States citizenship. She is classified as an alien. William says it is due to his father's status as a British subject. His mother is born in Hawaii and never left Hawaii. William's uncles (his mother's brothers) are considered Unites States citizens. The first thing William and his older brother do before basic training is getting a physical exam. They pass their physical exam and get notice to report to Hilo Armory to get sworn in. From Schofield, there is a parade, and they go overseas. Before leaving for war, his mother gives him an omamori (Japanese amulet for protection). (Interview ends at 58 minutes and 53 seconds)

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: 442nd; basic training; Hapa; Hawaii; Japanese American soldiers; Japanese Americans; Japanese identity and values; Schofield Barracks; siblings; World War Two

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