Partial Transcript: In 1935, Ray's mother passed away when he was 12 or 13 years old. Her passing was hard on the family. Ray's mother was a good mother to the children. Ray missed her cooking and her presence. The family had a service for Ray's mother then she was buried in Kagoshima, Japan. Ray's father could not take care of all the children. Therefore, Ray's two sisters and younger brother went to live in Japan with their grandmother (mother's mother). Later, Ray's father and Ray went to live in Japan.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: family; Issei parents; Nisei

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: Ray lived in Japan for a few years and returned to the United States in 1939. He landed in Los Angeles, CA, and lived in Coronado with his father and older brother. Ray's father enrolled him in Coronado High School, and Ray started as a freshman. The education in Japan built a strong educational foundation for his informative years. Ray had good grades, participated in track, and had many friends in high school. Later he was elected treasurer of the student body.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: high school; Japanese Americans; Nisei; sports

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: In 1943, Ray graduated high school in the camp. When the war started, Ray was a junior in high school. He was forcibly removed to Santa Anita Assembly Center in April 1942. Santa Anita was a race track, and Ray lived in a horse stable. Ray recalls hearing about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He did not hear about the attack until the next day at school in class. In class, he also heard President Roosevelt's speech. Ray was treated differently after December 7. He still had friends, and he made new friends.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: "evacuation"; Assembly Centers; barracks; Executive Order 9066; high school; interment camp; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Pearl Harbor; Santa Anita; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: Ray made new friends after December 7 because his older friend at school treated him differently. Ray's brother had a car, and when his brother volunteered for the Army in 1942, Ray got his car. Ray would take his new friends for a ride. At school, Ray was still the student body treasurer and ran track. Ray learned about Executive Order 9066 through a Nisei friend. Ray was living alone in Coronado and working part-time. When the Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their residence due to EO9066, Ray went with his friend's family to the Assembly Center. His family number was 4044.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: Assembly Centers; discrimination; Executive Order 9066; friendship; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Santa Anita; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: At Santa Anita Assembly Center, Ray lived in a horse stable. In the beginning, Ray lived with his friend's family but later moved with some bachelors from Chula Vista. He recalls an internee at Santa Anita who got a souvenir of the Seabiscuit Ave signage. In July 1942, Ray went to Poston, AZ, Poston Camp 3, and lived in barracks. His barrack number was 329.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: "evacuation"; Assembly Centers; Executive Order 9066; interment camp; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Nisei; Poston; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: Chinese people at that time had to wear buttons "I am a Chinese" to differentiate them from the Japanese Americans. Ray remembers the living conditions at Poston. There was no privacy and dust storms. The barrack Ray lived in had cracks in the walls, and when there were dust storms, it would get dusty everywhere. Also, the summers were hot. In the wintertime, the weather was cold, and he used a stove to keep warm.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: discrimination; Executive Order 9066; interment camp; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Nisei; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: At Poston, AZ, Ray went to school and graduated his senior year of high school in the camp. Ray also worked at the canteen making twelve dollars a month. At Santa Anita, Ray worked as a porter making eight dollars a month. Before the war, Ray worked part-time mowing the lawn or cleaning the kitchen floor and made more than eight dollars a month. At camp, there were guards and fences to prevent people from leaving.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: education; employment; Executive Order 9066; Japanese Americans; Nisei; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: At Poston, there were armed guards and barbed wire fences to keep people from leaving. Apart from school and work, there were activities like dances and clubs. Ray was elected President of the Cinnabar social club. He remembers the meal at camp was decent, and the education was not as good as a real school. Moreover, the internees received a loyalty questionnaire.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: Executive Order 9066; interment camp; Japanese Americans; loyalty questions; Nisei; social activities; World War Two; youth organizations

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: In Poston, everyone received a loyalty questionnaire, and some people went to Tule Lake because of their answers. Ray's father was at Crystal City, Texas, because he was a leader among the Japanese from Kagoshima. Before the FBI took Ray's father away in 1942, he had heard about the situations with other Isseis and made preparation just in case he was taken away. Ray recalls it was rough times.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: community leaders; Executive Order 9066; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: In 1942, the FBI took Ray's father away because he was a community leader and had ties with Japan. Ray was worried when his father was taken away. He was scared of the unknown future. Ray had to adjust and live alone. When Ray was forcibly removed, he took a portable typewriter with him. At Poston, he sold it to a bachelor who was a writer. After graduating, Ray volunteered to go to Chicago with no job and nothing of value. He recalls getting permission to go to Crystal City, Texas, to visit his father. On the train ride, Ray was mistaken for a Native American.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: community leaders; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; Nisei; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: On the way to Crystal City, Texas, Ray met a Nisei who treated him to dinner. Ray saw his father and his father left on a ship that repatriated all the people from Tule Lake. His father was not an American citizen and returned to Japan. After seeing his father, Ray went to Chicago, IL, and a Quaker organization helped him find a job and housing. Ray worked as a shipping clerk. At Ray's first apartment there were bed bugs, and the Quaker organization helped him find new housing.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: employment; family; Issei; Issei parents; Japanese Americans; living conditions; Nisei; travel; Tule Lake; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: In Chicago, Ray worked as a shipping clerk and later found a better job at Mason and Company. Ray also attended Central YMCA College, learning accounting courses. Ray was offered a job as a bookkeeper and made fifty dollars a week.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: employment; Japanese Americans; Nisei; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: At Mason and Company, Ray earned fifty dollars a week as a bookkeeper. Ray started saving money and moved into a student co-op near the University of Chicago. Ray had a roommate name, Woody Douglas. Ray eventually saved enough money to enroll at the University of Minnesota and attended for a year. Ray used to keep in contact with Woody, and currently lives in New Jersey. The last time Ray wrote to Woody, he did not get a reply. Woody found a job as an engineer. At the University of Minnesota, Ray made another White friend, and they mail Christmas cards.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: correspondence; employment; friendship; higher education; Japanese Americans; Nisei; World War Two

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: After a year at the University of Minnesota, Ray decided to volunteer for the Army. He recalls hitchhiking from Minnesota to Chicago. Ray served during the occupation and met his wife. Post-war, Ray had a career auditing for the Air Force Audit Agency throughout Japan and around Asia. Ray's career as an auditor was a civil service job similar to what he had in Japan at the Civil Censorship Detachment (CCD). Later, he was a translator in Tokyo civil service and Okinawa civil service. Ray's second time in Japan was with the Air Force Audit Agency.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: Allied Translator and Interpreter Section; employment; higher education; Japanese Americans; Military Intelligence Service; Nisei; Nisei veterans; occupation; post-war; wedding

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: After working at the Air Force Audit Agency and working in Asia, Ray was assigned to International North American, the American Aviation. He worked for four or five years and returned to the Air Force Audit Agency as an Acquisition Management Auditor. Then, Ray was promoted to Audit Manager and audited all over the US and the Pentagon twice. After 30 years, including his military service, Ray retired. However, Northrop wanted Ray for his experience and hired him. Northrop sent Ray to work in Korea for two weeks and twice to Saudi Arabia for a five-week audit.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: Japanese Americans; Nisei; Nisei veterans; post-war

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: Saudi Arabia was a different place. Then Ray went to New York, Virginia, and Texas for Northrop and then retired. Now, Ray works as a CPA and does taxes. He works to keep his mind busy. Ray has been raising a family and has been married for 57 years.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: family; Japanese Americans; Nisei; Nisei veterans; post-war; travel

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: Ray is retired and enjoys playing golf and going on cruises. Ray has three children and three grandchildren. Ray's oldest daughter is Grace Ann Cecil, his oldest son is Daniel Mayeda (partner at a law firm), and another son is a Christian Minister. Ray's grandchildren are Matthew Ray Mayeda, Carissa Imiko Mayeda, and Casey Mayeda. Ray hopes for his grandchildren a good education and a job they like. Ray's grandson is majoring in international business at Azusa Pacific University and left for Australia to study aboard. For the future of America, he hopes there is no more war and the country focus on repairing our issues like homelessness.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: Americans of Japanese Ancestry; family; Nisei; Nisei veterans; Sansei; Yonsei

Subjects: