Noboru Asayama: Former internee at Tule Lake
Noboru Asayama, born in Auburn, Washington in 1921, is a first generation Japanese-American, or nisei, who was an internee of Tule Lake Japanese internment camp of World War II. Before Pearl Harbor, Mr. Asayama’s family were farmers. Asayama had brothers and sisters.
The executive order 9006:
Although the Japanese were not doing anything wrong, Noboru and his family were expecting the removal of the Japanese. Their suspicions of removal were confirmed when the Japanese were told to move away from the shore. The government posted warnings on power poles and in most public places. Each person was only allowed to take one suitcase and one trunk of belongings.
Arrival:
All Japanese Americans from the city of Auburn, Washington, arrived together to Tule lake, California. It was an emotional journey and many were in tears. Asayama was eighteen years old at the time and would stay in the camp for another six years. At the time, there were approximately five-thousand internees. This initial amount would soon gain to about nineteen-thousand internees. Scorching hot with the temperature at one-hundred and ten to one-hundred and fifteen degrees.
Life at the camp:
Life in the camp was less than accommodating.There were scorching temperatures that would average to about 110-115 degrees. Due to this, many would faint. In the barracks, there were more than one family to a room and in order to obtain some privacy, families hung blankets to divide a room. No furniture other than the straw
mattresses were in the barracks. Many would make furniture out of scrap wood to resolve the problem of having no furniture. Asayama worked for motor pool, which furnished trucks for people to drive through the camp. Recreational activities included singing and baseball.The family life was extremely important and culture was maintained through the meal they cooked. Nobaru tells of how the government provided rice, soy sauce, and other japanese foods. Mr. Asayama told us a story of how some american soldiers were afraid of a big, husky nisei and shot him for no reason. There was just a general fear of japanese and vice versa. Many Nisei volunteered to join and fight for the USA, however, many
issei,the original japanese immigrants, felt ashamed.
Life after camp:
After being released from the camp, Noboru found a job in a cannery. Because of his diligent and hardworking habits, he soon became the leader of a group of men at the cannery.
Noboru explained that the Japanese felt no resentment toward the Americans, in fact, they understood the reasons why they acted as they did. Mr. Asayama’s only desire was for the relationship between the Americans and the Japanese to have been different, one of trust in which the Americans could confidently say that the Japanese in America were loyal to America.