Betty and Hiro Nishikubo: Former internees and member of the 442nd
Hiro's Biography
Hiroshi Nishikubo was born on November 15, 1921 in Clarksburg, California. His parents were from Hiroshima, therefore making him a part of the Nissei generation.
Before Pearl Harbor
Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Hiroshi Nishikubo was living in West Sacramento, California. He had just turned twenty years old when news of the attack reached his family.
After Pearl Harbor
On December 17, 1941, twenty year old Hiroshi Nishikubo was working on his family’s farm when he saw a huge cloud of dust. Initially, he was unsure of what had just occurred. However, it all became clear to him when his sister emerged saying, “Pearl Harbor has been bombed by the Japanese.” Immediately following the attack, Hiroshi was given the cold shoulder by his Caucasian friends and felt isolated. Fortunately, the area in which he was living had a high population of Japanese-Americans so discrimination was not as pronounced.
Executive Order 9066
On February 19, 1942, ten weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Executive Order 9066 was signed. This order stated that any or all people living in military zones could be removed as deemed “necessary or desirable”. The Nishikubos were expecting to be interned and cooperated with the process, carrying themselves with grace. Family belongings were sold from twenty-five cents to a dollar.
Assembly Center
Never seeing his family again was not on Nishikubo’s mind. Instead, he was more concerned with remaining optimistic about the situation at hand. Fighting in the war was a possibility and Hiro’s nationalism was not swayed by the internment.
Travel to Camp
The Nishikubo family was interned in Tule Lake, California. Hiroshi and his family were not too worried about relocating, and his parents were indifferent about the situation. In Hiroshi’s eyes, traveling resembled a vacation since most of his life had been spent on the farm.
Life in Camp
Internment lasted one year and three months for Hiroshi and his family. He felt as if he were “on a vacation” as he did not find conditions to be terribly harsh and was able to participate in activities such as baseball. Unfortunately, camp did separate the family. The family did not eat meals together because each family member made new friends to eat meals with.
Life After Camp
After release from Tule Lake, Hiroshi decided to join the fire department. His family returned to its farm, and his dad worked in a cemetery. In 1944, twenty-two year old Hiroshi was drafted into the 442nd Infantry Regiment after previously being refused due to his “alien” status. He left his job in Cleveland and served as a replacement in the infantry. He received no voice in choosing a location, and had to serve for seventeen weeks. Upon being drafted, he was stationed in Florida where he spent several rainy days. Following this, he was dispatched to southern France near the Italian border. Because Hiroshi was appointed to defend against German forces, his days were unpredictable and he has many memories of being ordered around. Brutal battles resulted in many deaths . Thankfully, Hiroshi was able to return home safely. France awarded him a Medal of Legion and Congress awarded him a Gold Medal of Honor for his service.
Betty's Biography
Betty Haruko Wakamatsu was born on October 28, 1930 in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were from Japan, making her a part of the Nissei generation.
Before Pearl Harbor
Before Pearl Harbor, Betty felt as if Japanese-Americans were not understood as an ethnicity..
After Pearl Harbor
Japan bombed Pearl Harbor when Betty was eleven years old. She was living in Boyle Heights at the time of the attack.
Executive Order 9066
Betty remembers the plethora of classmates who feared for her as they imagined brutal horrors awaiting her at the camp. Of course, the only kind of camps they kids were familiar with were concentration camps in Europe.
Assembly Center
Betty and her family were taken to the Santa Anita horse track, which was used as a makeshift assembly center. She lived in the stables for about three months alongside her parents and many siblings. The order of the horses never disappeared, making the stay that much more despicable. Luckily, the family never had to be separated.
Travel to Camp
Betty was forced to take an extremely long and tedious bus ride all from Los Angeles to Arkansas, a trip spanning roughly two-thirds of the continental United States.
Life in Camp
After three months at the horse track, the Wakamatsu family was relocated to Rohwer internment camp in Arkansas. A large living unit and a small living unit were appointed to them, but neither offered any privacy. Schools were established and classes were taught by graduates recruited from the surrounding area. The camp was built on the fertile lands of the Southern countryside among snakes, copperheads, and water moccasins. Betty would often venture outside of the camp boundaries in order to swim and escape the crowd. The cook at the camp had no culinary experience, and therefore the meals were repulsive. Eventually, internees were able to grow their own foods on the fertile lands and obtain rations to cook in their own units.