Partial Transcript: Kenichi Muranaga is born on December 24, 1924, in Los Angeles, CA. Kenichi is part of the 100th Battalion Separate. Kenichi's father is Shoemon Muranaga from Yamaguchi-ken, Japan. He is born on April 15, 1884. Kenichi's father immigrates from Japan to Hawaii and gets married. Kenichi's mother, Kikuyo Tsuno, is born on May 20, 1901, in Hawaii. In 1919, Kenichi's parents move to the mainland. Kenichi's father works various jobs from cooking, working on the railroads and produce market. The produce market is a wholesale market is on 9th Street.

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Keywords: 100th Infantry Battalion (Separate); employment; family; Hawaii; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Mainland; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi's first childhood home is in Los Angeles, CA. Later the family moves to Gardena. During the earlier years, Gardena is considered the country due to the vast farmlands. Kenichi recalls playing kick the can, marbles, and cops and robbers.

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Keywords: childhood activities; children; family; farming; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi's father is petite in stature, quiet, and hard-working. Kenichi says his father is an amazing man. He raises ten children during the Great Depression. Kenichi's mother is a happy-go-lucky type of person. Her attitude resembles the Hawaiian lifestyle.

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Keywords: family; Hawaii; Hawaiian identity; Issei; Issei parents; Nisei

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi has very high respect and appreciation for his father. Kenichi's father works hard to provide for his family, and everything is taken away due to World War Two. In Los Angeles, Kenichi's father works in the produce business to provide for his four children. Later, the family moves to Gardena. Kenichi's father continues to work hard in the produce business. Shortly after moving to the country, an unfortunate accident happens to Kenichi's oldest brother. Kenichi reflects on the efforts of his father and the evacuation order EO9066.

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Keywords: discrimination; Executive Order 9066; family; Issei; Issei parents; siblings; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi's mother is always happy. Kenichi says he would never compare himself to his father. Kenichi has the utmost admiration for his father. His father worked hard all his life. Before the war, Kenichi's father works at a nursery. Towards the end of his life, he continues to work at a nursery in San Fernando Valley. Kenichi's father works day and night. There are ten children in the family, and all the kids help at the nursery.

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Keywords: employment; family; Hawaii; Hawaiian identity; Issei parents

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi lists his siblings from oldest to youngest: Hiroshi, Kiyoshi, Yoshiro, Kenichi (himself), Sally, Susie, Hiro, brother, sister, and sister (the last three siblings' names are not mentioned in the interview). Unfortunately, Kiyoshi is killed in action overseas when Kenichi is in basic training. Kiyoshi is in F Company, 442nd. Kiyoshi receives the Department of the Army Civilian Award (DAC). Later he is upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Kenichi says Kiyoshi KIA when the 442nd retreats from battle with the German soldiers.

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Keywords: basic training; family; German soldiers; Japanese Americans; Killed in Action; Medal of Honor; Nisei; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi says his mother is very loving. She loves all her children equally. He did not understand his mother fully until he meets other Hawaiians in service. Kenichi then understands the Hawaiian culture and identity. At the big island in Hawaii, Kenichi's father is a cowboy at Parker Ranch. Parker Ranch is a cattle ranch.

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Keywords: Hawaii; Hawaiian identity; Issei

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi's childhood home in Gardena is one-story with indoor plumbing and electricity. He recalls attending Moneta Elementary School. In his spare time, Kenichi plays tops, kicking the can, marbles, cops, and robbers. Besides games, Kenichi goes to Redondo Beach and watches movies.

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Keywords: childhood activities; education; Japanese Americans; Nisei; primary school

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Partial Transcript: The demographic in Kenichi's neighborhood is Japanese Americans and Hispanics. Kenichi says the people in Gardena are prejudice against "colored" people. The majority demographic of Gardena is Caucasians. Kenichi does not feel any discrimination because he stays in his neighborhood and plays with neighborhood children. Kenichi mainly likes to keep to himself. Therefore he does not have close childhood friends or is close relationships with his siblings.

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Keywords: discrimination; family; Japanese Americans; Nisei; prejudices; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi's family religion is Buddhism. During the year, his family celebrates the western holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. Money is tight within the family. Therefore, they did not have the luxury of having lavish meals on holidays. Post-war, when Kenichi's parents are financially stable, they celebrate New Year with big meals. Kenichi's father does not mention facing discrimination. His father focuses on working hard to provide for the family.

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Keywords: employment; family; Issei; Japanese Americans; Nisei; post-war

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Partial Transcript: During the Great Depression, the produce business did not go well. Kenichi's father ends up doing odd jobs such as gardening, nursery, and farm work. Sometimes, Kenichi's father would bring the children to work on the farm to get some vegetables to bring home. The family owns a model A Ford. However, when the family finances got better, Kenichi's father buys a better car, 1929 a four-door Chrysler and then a 1934 Pontiac.

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

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Partial Transcript: (Interview starts at 27 minutes 33 seconds) At Gardena High School, Kenichi enjoys Art class and is on the school football team. Kenichi's teacher encourages Kenichi to purpose an art career. However, the war starts, and Kenichi's life plan changes. In high school, Kenichi starts on the B League for football. Later he joins the varsity football team and later has second thoughts due to his size. One of the effects of war is discrimination. Kenichi explains his sentiments towards Gardena High School. Kenichi says Kiyoshi's name is listed on the honor roll but is withdrawn due to his ancestry. When the Military announces Kiyoshi as a recipient of the Department of the Army Civilian Awards (DAC), Gardena High School puts Kiyoshi's name back on the honor roll list.

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; discrimination; education; Japanese Americans; Medal of Honor; prejudices; siblings; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi describes his relationship with his siblings. Although he has nine siblings, everyone is independent. In High School, Kenichi is not aware of the world news. He is mainly focusing on his studies (Interview stops at 32 minutes 18 seconds).

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Keywords: education; family; high school; Japanese Americans; Nisei; siblings

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi says his father never mentioned any correspondence with his family in Japan. Kenichi's father is self-taught when he lived in Hawaii. He teaches himself how to read and write English. Both of Kenichi's parents speak English. In the early years, Japanese is the primary language at home. Later the children speak English. Besides primary school, Kenichi recalls going to Japanese School briefly. Kenichi does not recollect December 7, 1941, but he remembers the aftermath. President Roosevelt declares war. Kenichi is concern about what is going to happen next to the Japanese Americans. Kenichi says their family lost all their Caucasian friends.

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Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; education; family; Hawaii; Issei; Japanese Americans; Japanese language school; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi's family did not discuss the events of Pearl Harbor because they could not understand it. Kenichi says the Japanese Americans are caught in the middle of the war because they are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Kenichi's father's business is not affected because he is in the wholesale. Gardena has a lot of nurseries, and Kenichi's father mainly sells to them. His main plant is Juniper.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; discrimination; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; racism; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: A few months after the Pearl Harbor attack, Kenichi recalls a curfew is in order. Everyone has to be indoors by 9 o'clock. In addition, you are not allowed to travel to other areas. Kenichi explains Executive Order 9066 (EO9066) and Santa Anita Assembly Center. Kenichi finds the news hard to believe. Kenichi considers himself like everyone else, an American. However, the war defines the Japanese Americans as "japs".

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Keywords: "evacuation"; "Jap"; Americans of Japanese Ancestry; curfew; discrimination; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Pearl Harbor; Santa Anita; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi is in basic training when Kiyoshi is killed in action overseas. Kenichi recalls taking the bus to his brother's funeral in Amache and wearing his Military uniform. On the bus, some Caucasians say racist comments to him. Within a week of the evacuation announcement, Kenichi and his family get ready for Santa Anita Assembly Center.

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Keywords: "evacuation"; Amache; Americans of Japanese Ancestry; discrimination; Executive Order 9066; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Japanese Americans; Nisei; racism; Santa Anita; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi says you are allowed to bring what you can carry to the Santa Anita Assembly Center. Kenichi recalls his father has to let go of the nursery and scavengers. Before going overseas, Kiyoshi has a fruit stand business and lives in Los Angeles part-time and part-time in Gardena with the family. The entire Muranaga family goes to Santa Anita by train. On the train ride, the windows are blackout. Kenichi discusses his feelings and the communities' feelings regarding evacuation.

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Keywords: "evacuation"; Americans of Japanese Ancestry; blackouts in war; Executive Order 9066; family; Issei; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Santa Anita; siblings; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: When Kenichi arrives at Santa Anita Assembly Center, he sees barracks and guards stationed with rifles. The Muranaga family (Kenichi's parents and nine children) is assigned two-unit spaces for housing. Kenichi describes the exterior and interior of the barracks. Originally Santa Anitra is a horse track before becoming an assembly center.

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Keywords: "evacuation"; Americans of Japanese Ancestry; barracks; discrimination; Executive Order 9066; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Nisei; rifle; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: When Kenichi evacuates to Santa Anita, he is still in high school. Kenichi says he is not at Santa Anita for too long before being relocated to Amache. Kenichi describes mealtime. You eat what they serve you.

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Keywords: "evacuation"; discrimination; education; Executive Order 9066; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Nisei; Santa Anita; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: At Santa Anita, Kenichi recalls a protest of the treatment of the Japanese Americans. The Military comes, and a fight breaks out. The Military departed the individuals who are involved in the protest or sends them to a different camp. Kenichi and his family do not stay long at Santa Anita before being relocated to Amache. They travel by train to Colorado. Amache is like a desert.

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Keywords: "evacuation"; Amache; Americans of Japanese Ancestry; discrimination; Executive Order 9066; family; Issei; Japanese Americans; Nisei; racism; relocation centers; Santa Anita; World War Two

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Partial Transcript: Kenichi says restriction becomes relaxed, and he can leave camp to go to work. Kenichi goes to Denver and works as a busy boy, sugar beet farm, and a pueblo at a battery factory.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: Amache; Executive Order 9066; farming; Japanese Americans; Nisei; World War Two

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