| [00:07.599] |
My father came from Japan in 1905 |
| [00:10.439] |
He was 15 when he immigrated from Japan |
| [00:13.919] |
He, he... he worked until he was able to buy this patch |
| [00:17.109] |
And build a store |
| [00:17.970] |
|
| [00:18.199] |
Let me tell you the story in the form of a dream, |
| [00:20.139] |
I don't know why I have to tell it but I know what it means, |
| [00:22.669] |
Close your eyes, just picture the scene, |
| [00:24.279] |
As I paint it for you, it was World War II, |
| [00:26.499] |
When this man named Kenji woke up, |
| [00:28.549] |
Ken was not a soldier, |
| [00:29.739] |
He was just a man with a family who owned a store in LA, |
| [00:33.499] |
That day, he crawled out of bed like he always did, |
| [00:36.339] |
Bacon and eggs with wife and kids, |
| [00:38.279] |
He lived on the second floor of a little store he ran, |
| [00:40.989] |
He moved to LA from Japan, |
| [00:42.789] |
They called him 'Immigrant,' |
| [00:44.290] |
In Japanese, he'd say he was called "Esay," |
| [00:46.659] |
That meant 'First Generation In The United States,' |
| [00:49.639] |
When everyone was afraid of the Germans, afraid of the Japs, |
| [00:53.290] |
But most of all afraid of a homeland attack, |
| [00:54.939] |
And that morning when Ken went out on the doormat, |
| [00:57.569] |
His world went black 'cause, |
| [00:59.290] |
Right there; front page news, |
| [01:01.390] |
Three weeks before 1942, |
| [01:02.919] |
"Pearl Harbour's Been Bombed And The Japs Are Comin'," |
| [01:05.719] |
Pictures of soldiers dyin' and runnin', |
| [01:07.479] |
Ken knew what it would lead to, |
| [01:09.319] |
Just like he guessed, the President said, |
| [01:11.239] |
"The evil Japanese in our home country will be locked away," |
| [01:14.769] |
They gave Ken, a couple of days, |
| [01:17.789] |
To get his whole life packed in two bags, |
| [01:19.389] |
Just two bags, couldn't even pack his clothes, |
| [01:22.390] |
Some folks didn't even have a suitcase, to pack anything in, |
| [01:25.229] |
So two trash bags was all they gave them, |
| [01:27.689] |
When the kids asked mum "Where are we goin'?" |
| [01:30.900] |
Nobody even knew what to say to them, |
| [01:32.139] |
Ken didn't wanna lie, he said "The US is lookin' for spies, |
| [01:35.279] |
So we have to live in a place called Mandinar, |
| [01:38.690] |
Where a lot of Japanese people are," |
| [01:40.139] |
Stop it don't look at the gunmen, |
| [01:41.689] |
You don't wanna get the soldiers wonderin', |
| [01:44.990] |
If you gonna run or not, |
| [01:45.598] |
'Cause if you run then you might get shot, |
| [01:47.689] |
Other than that try not to think about it, |
| [01:50.490] |
Try not to worry 'bout it; bein' so crowded, |
| [01:52.169] |
Someday we'll get out, someday, someday. |
| [01:56.639] |
|
| [01:56.679] |
As soon as war broke out |
| [01:57.190] |
The G.I came and they just come to the house and |
| [01:59.819] |
"You have to come" |
| [02:01.619] |
"All the Japanese have to go" |
| [02:02.899] |
They took Mr. Lee |
| [02:04.818] |
People didn't understand |
| [02:06.249] |
Why did they have to take him? |
| [02:08.599] |
Because he's an innocent (neighbour/labourer?) |
| [02:10.329] |
|
| [02:10.599] |
So now they're in a town with soldiers surroundin' them, |
| [02:12.709] |
Every day, every night look down at them, |
| [02:15.129] |
From watch towers up on the wall, |
| [02:17.149] |
Ken couldn't really hate them at all; |
| [02:19.399] |
They were just doin' their job and, |
| [02:20.739] |
He wasn't gonna make any problems, |
| [02:23.990] |
He had a little garden with vegetables and fruits that, |
| [02:26.168] |
He gave to the troops in a basket his wife made, |
| [02:28.719] |
But in the back of his mind, he wanted his families life saved, |
| [02:31.609] |
Prisoners of war in their own damn country, |
| [02:34.379] |
What for? |
| [02:35.399] |
Time passed in the prison town, |
| [02:36.839] |
He wanted them to live it down when they were free, |
| [02:39.379] |
The only way out was joinin' the army, |
| [02:41.559] |
And supposedly, some men went out for the army, signed on, |
| [02:45.179] |
And ended up flyin' to Japan with a bomb, |
| [02:47.439] |
That 15 kilotonne blast, put an end to the war pretty fast, |
| [02:51.909] |
Two cities were blown to bits; the end of the war came quick, |
| [02:55.179] |
Ken got out, big hopes of a normal life, with his kids and his wife, |
| [02:59.819] |
But, when they got back to their home, |
| [03:01.309] |
What they saw made them feel so alone, |
| [03:03.719] |
These people had trashed every room, |
| [03:05.809] |
Smashed in the windows and bashed in the doors, |
| [03:07.959] |
Written on the walls and the floor, |
| [03:09.709] |
"Japs not welcome anymore." |
| [03:11.489] |
And Kenji dropped both of his bags at his sides and just stood outside, |
| [03:15.629] |
He, looked at his wife without words to say, |
| [03:17.689] |
She looked back at him wiped the tears away, |
| [03:20.299] |
And, said "Someday we'll be okay, someday," |
| [03:22.969] |
Now the names have been changed, but the story's true, |
| [03:25.859] |
My family was locked up back in '42, |
| [03:28.699] |
My family was there it was dark and damp, |
| [03:30.759] |
And they called it an internment camp |
| [03:32.459] |
|
| [03:32.959] |
When we first got back from camp... uhh |
| [03:35.228] |
It was... pretty... pretty bad |
| [03:37.228] |
|
| [03:37.569] |
I, I remember my husband said |
| [03:40.489] |
"Are we gonna stay 'til last?" |
| [03:42.129] |
Then my husband died before they close the camp. |
| [03:45.969] |
|
