Editor’s note: Editor’s note: The following article was written by Fusaye Iyeki for “Your Life History, A Guide for Writing,“ a class taught by Lora Connolly at ACC via Zoom. Ms. Iyeki is in her 90s. To sign up for the class, visit accsv.org/online.
I was in the 6th grade when the War with Japan broke out in December 1941. This being the final grade before graduating from Elementary School, students were treated to a special outing. I always watched with envy and longing, with my fingers hanging on the chain link fence, as the buses were leaving for their excursion.
Now that I was finally in 6th grade, I really looked forward to this special trip. But unfortunately, I was taken out of school in April because President Roosevelt ordered that all Japanese, as well as Japanese Americans, were to be evacuated from the Bay Area very quickly, like within two weeks. My older sister May came to take me out of school, which was very embarrassing since it happened in front of all my classmates.
We were allowed to take only a few necessary things. I remember having to give away my new Sonja Henie doll given to me at Christmas. She was beautiful, wearing her bonnet with fur trim around her face. I attempted to give the doll to a couple of friends down the street, but they would not answer the doorbell. I tried several times but got no response, which was hard for me to accept.
We were bused to Tanforan Racetrack, which had been made into an Assembly Center and temporary housing, while permanent barracks were being built in various states.
It was a rainy day when we arrived at the racetrack, which was now fully fenced in. Our housing was in the horse stalls. Our large family was assigned four stalls. It was strange, seeing the swinging partitions in each stall dividing the front portion and the back “bedrooms.” We had to stand in long lines for our meals. I don’t recall what was served, but I do remember that on Saturdays we had hot dogs and ice cream cups.
That summer I attended a class taught by Mr. Sugiyama. He introduced us to the book Les Miserables, a touching story about Jean Valjean. I was so impressed with this book. It became my favorite and still is today. I learned to play table tennis (ping pong) while there, competing at different recreation halls. I loved to play and became quite good at it. I even participated in an all-camp tournament held in the Grandstand. I made it as far as the finals and was runner up to Mary Hidekawa, who won.
When our relocation center was completed, we were transported in very old trains to Topaz, Utah, our new “home” in the desert. Enroute, we were ordered to keep our shades down. Every so often we would stop, and we were allowed to get out and stretch our legs. Soldiers were all lined up facing us, with rifles, standing at attention.
There had been a dust storm shortly before we arrived at the relocation center. Fine powder-like dust was everywhere. It was terrible walking through the dust to our assigned “apartments.” To top it off, all the windows in the rooms had been left open. What a sight it was, thick with dust everywhere! I can’t image what Papa and Mama must have felt at that time.
Our family was assigned to live in Block 7, Barrack 9, Apartments A, B, and C, located along one of the sides of the camp. Each block had 12 apartment barracks, including a recreation hall. There was a separate Mess Hall, latrine and shower facilities, and a laundry room with large tubs, located in the center of each block. Our barrack was close to one of the guard towers, which made me uncomfortable. It was also right next to the barbed wire fence surrounding Topaz.
We slowly adjusted to this new way of life. But it was hard to get used to the fact that the stalls in the latrine were all in rows with no doors in front, which was embarrassing, particularly if you had diarrhea, which often happened after the meals. I also remember seeing wash basins filled with crickets, which frightened me no end! Turning on the faucet was a challenge.
The food wasn’t the best—sometimes Mom was able to get some extra rice from the Mess Hall and we had Ochazuke in our “apartment” with some pickles she had made. I had never seen a dentist during my first 12 years of life even though our next-door neighbor was a dentist. I remember having terrific toothaches before the War, but I never complained because I knew we couldn’t afford the expense. My first experience with a dentist was in Topaz. His name was Dr. Inukai. He looked like a mad scientist, which wasn’t helpful. He decided that much work had to be done. To get started, he put a clamp in my mouth to keep it open. After working a few minutes, he was interrupted by a phone call. So, with the clamp still in my mouth, I waited and waited, wondering if he forgot about me. I think it was a good half hour before he came back. I will never forget my first dental chair experience!
I don’t remember much about going to school, but I do remember having a lot of homework, staying up late at night in the room, while everyone else was asleep. My sister, Matsuko, was a great help when I needed it.
When a French class was offered, I jumped at it! Why? Because my two older sisters, Matsuko and Mikiko, were quite fluent in speaking French with each other, and did so frequently, and I wanted to understand what they were saying. Miss Loomis was an excellent French teacher. However, after only a couple of semesters, she had to leave Topaz due to health problems. There was no substitute, so the French class was dropped.
After living three years at Topaz, I really longed to be on the outside. I hoped and prayed every night to be let out. That time finally came in September 1945, just in time to enroll as a high school freshman. I remember looking out from the back of the bus taking us away from the Camp where we’d lived for three years. That memory will be forever etched in my mind.
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