Bill Matsushima: Interned at Amache, CO
Bill Matsushima, an 83-year-old Japanese internment camp survivor, opens up about life before and after executive order 9066. Only a boy at the time Bill heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor through the radio a common source of news in 1941. Bill who origination from Gardena, CA lived with his father two brothers and sister. He then moved to Amache, Colorado during the Granada War Relocation Center. Transported to the camps by way of bus Bill remembers rocky terrain, in a place where there were no mountains, and almost nothing in site, besides the camp. Consisting of level land mostly plains, Bill conveys that the camp was not a pretty place to live. The shelters were not much but sheets of metal over wooden structures providing very little warmth, throughout the harsh winters.
Although for some interment portrayed unwarranted terror in a time of paranoia, for Bill’s father going to camp provided a sense of relief from responsibilities, for their mother had passed shortly before the war broke out. A single father for four, and a farmer at the time, Bill’s father viewed camp as an opportunity to do better for his children, while remembering how wrong the situation really was; in Bill’s words, “being incarcerated, being American,” and still having basic civil liberties snatched away.
From the viewpoint of a child, Bill remarkably remembers many things. A mischievous child, he remembers ice cream, a well known treat, being served on different days in different dining halls, or “blocks”, as he remembers them. The fondest memories were the occasional times ice cream was served. A decadent treat, even today, was served on rotation between blocks, and given the lax authority. In addition to his tendency to wander, Bill ensured that he got ice cream everyday, by moving from block to block, with none the wiser. Children were allowed to participate in games, such as basketball, football, and baseball to name a few. In addition to playing games, children were allowed to go to school and earn an education. Camps, such as Tule Lake, resembled prisons, a disturbing classification in which over 120 thousand Japanese Americans had to endure. Originally entering the camp in 1941, Bill and his family left in 1945 to Chicago, a lace decidedly different than his hometown in Gardena. When asked
Bill Matsushima was born in Gardena, California in 1933. He is currently 83 years old and was interned in the Amache Camp, in Granada Colorado.
Growing up, Bill was poor due to his family’s financial condition. Both of his parents were farmers who did not have or make much money. As a child, his family could not afford many luxuries. Nevertheless, they were a very loving and caring family and because of that, he had a content childhood. Bill had one sister and two older brothers who all loved and took care of him, to the best of their ability.
He was eight years old when his family was relocated to the internment camp. The move was somewhat of a relief to his father, as their mother had just die. Bill’s father was having a difficult time coping with both the loss and new financial struggles. On the contrary, his father and older siblings were not comfortable with the idea of being incarcerated against their will. Nevertheless, the family left to the camp when called, and attempted to stay unified. Overall, the family reaction to internment was hopeful that things would get better.
At the camp, Bill and his family had no problem pledging their allegiance to the United States. Despite all that was happening, they still felt loyal to their country. Life was peaceful in the camp, and no major clashes of ideologies occurred during his time spent there.
He reflects that he was glad he had grown up
in the United States instead of Japan. He feels that he would never had been able to adjust to the way of life there. He recounted that after the war, many Japanese Americans had gone back to Japan only to find how much the war had weakened the economy and overall quality of life.
Towards the end of World War II, his family left the camp. They were one of the last to do so. His older brother and sister had left earlier on with their own spouses. After leaving the camp, his remaining family members relocated to Chicago. As a young child he liked it there because he “didn’t know better”, and was treated with less discrimination than he believes he would have faced in California. He feels that he would have had problems if he had immediately moved back to Gardena.
Bill received a bachelor degree in accounting from the California State University, Los Angeles. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. After he graduated, he lived in downtown Los Angeles for several years working, but moved back to Gardena when he got married. He views Gardena as his true home.
Bill considers himself very fortunate to have the life that he did. He believes that even though he endured many hardships, it was worth it to have the life that he has today. He currently lives in Gardena, California with his wife. They enjoy going to their church and spending time with their friends and family.
about the differences between locations and time, Bill had but just keen observations. He took notice that he did not have any white friends after the internment, as opposed to prior to his stay at the camp. Despite his experiences, he remains grateful that the United States won the war, holding little bitterness as he concedes that life would have been drastically different had Japan won the war.
Repeatedly mentioned throughout the interview, Bill shares that internment was something the Japanese Americans just had to live with. A very humble man, he explains that his time in internment was wrought out in a place where community was held in high esteem. People depended on and aided each other helping one another carry on, in a dark time of entanglement.