Yoshiko Tachibana interviews Shigechika and Kimi Kobara about their experiences living in Seattle, Los Angeles, Guadalupe, and Lompoc California in the years before the Second World War. Tachibana then asks the Kobaras about their time in the internment camps, in Fresno, Bismark, and Gila. They also discuss Kimi Kobara's immigration to the United States as a picture bride, the Japanese Christian Church and Buddhist temple in Arroyo Grande, farming and agricultural, and finally the encounters between the Kobara family and other local families upon returning to their home in 1945. English transcription available, contact Special Collections and Archives to access. See also Yoshiko Tachibana's 1982 Senior Project "Oral Histories of Japanese-Americans in San Luis Obispo County" https://cpslo-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/39e239/01CALS_…

Handwritten transcription of the oral history in Japanese

Side 1: [00:00:07] Intro - interview with Kazuo Ikeda conducted by Ricardo E. Medina [00:00:36] Ricardo asks about Ikeda's parents' backgrounds and when they arrived in America [00:01:28] Ikeda discusses why his parents left Japan [00:02:28] Ikeda discusses where his father worked and his job as a laborer/migrant worker in King City, notes that he (Kazuo) was born in King City in 1918 [00:03:05] Ikeda discusses how his parents met [00:04:10] Ikeda describes his life in King City, his family members, and his father's decision to send the rest of the family back to Japan [00:05:42] Ikeda discusses going back to Japan and returning again to Santa Maria Valley in 1927 [00:06:38] Ikeda describes his time in Arroyo Grande and the size of the Japanese community in the Central Coast area prior to the war [00:07:49] Ikeda discusses his father's farm land and land ownership [00:08:58] Ikeda recalls where he lived at the time of evacuation [00:09:09] Ikeda recalls his financial situation in regards to the farm [00:09:44] Ikeda discusses his family's religious beliefs within the context of the Japanese community [00:10:47] Ikeda discusses the social and cultural events in the Japanese community, such as Japanese language schools [00:12:00] Ikeda compares the size of the Japanese community at the time of the interview and prior to the war [00:12:28] Ikeda recalls when the war broke out and how his fellow Japanese community members felt at that time and his father's injury [00:14:30] Ikeda recalls how his friends and family got detained [00:15:01] Ikeda describes how he felt upon learning about and leading up to the relocation process and leasing his land [00:18:06] Ikeda recalls the order in which he had to get on the other side of Highway 99 and the option to move voluntarily [00:19:09] Ikeda recalls the moving process, waiting for the order to evacuate, and how their possessions needed to be sold cheaply [00:20:58] Ikeda describes where he stored the belongings that they kept [00:22:41] Ikeda recalls how he got special permission to stay behind while everyone else went to the Tulare Assembly Center [00:23:25] Ikeda recalls how long he was allowed to stay in San Luis Obispo to take care of his father [00:24:59] Ikeda recalls his time at the Tulare Assembly Center and the living conditions there [00:26:20] Ikeda describes how he felt while staying at the Tulare Assembly Center and what excuses he was given as to why they were placed there [00:27:30] Ikeda describes the perception of Japanese people on a local level at the time of the war and propaganda used against them [00:29:15] Ikeda describes his ownership of Japanese memorabilia prior to the war [00:29:50] Ikeda recalls the organization of the Tulare Assembly Center and jobs that people had [00:31:22] Ikeda recalls where he was ordered to where to move afterwards [00:31:50] Ikeda recalls the approximate population at Tulare [00:32:14] Ikeda recalls how he was told that they were going to be sent off to relocation camps [00:34:24] Ikeda recalls his first impression of Gila [00:35:42] Ikeda recalls the conditions of the living quarters [00:36:30] Ikeda recalls the presence of armed guards at the Tulare Assembly Center [00:36:50] Ikeda recalls what he did in Gila and his job as a sanitation inspector [00:38:00] Ikeda describes the jobs his brothers took on [00:40:24] Ikeda recalls the recruitment of workers [00:41:15] Ikeda recalls how the Japanese people organized themselves in the camps [00:42:16] Ikeda recalls his father's goals in coming to the U.S. and his roles within the SLO community Side 2: [00:00:08] Continuation of Ikeda recalling what his father hoped to gain in coming to the U.S. [00:00:21] Ikeda recalls cultural events within the camps and the work ethic of the Japanese American parents (especially among Issei parents) [00:02:44] Ikeda describes how they were treated in the camps and conditions [00:03:29] Ikeda describes what his mother did in the internment camp and caring for his father [00:05:06] Ikeda recalls where he was during the Manzanar Riot and how he felt at that time [00:05:43] Ikeda discusses the loyalty oath [00:08:48] Ikeda recalls how he felt after signing "yes" on the "loyalty oath" [00:10:35] Ikeda recalls how he and other internees were released from Gila to go work on farms [00:12:00] Ikeda discusses working on farms in Idaho and receiving permits that allowed for that [00:14:10] Ikeda recalls not facing hostilities while working [00:16:42] Ikeda recalls what he did and where he went when the internees were released from the camp [00:17:38] Ikeda describes how people people went about returning to their homes in California [00:20:15] Ikeda recalls what possessions he still had upon returning to California [00:20:55] Ikeda describes what he did to subsist and how he was faring upon returning to California [00:22:00] Ikeda recalls the events leading up to meeting his wife [00:24:57] Ikeda discusses farming, marrying his wife, and acquiring more land [00:26:45] Ikeda compares the Japanese families before and after the war, focusing on those that returned to their homes [00:27:41] Ikeda discusses participation in cultural and community events after the war [00:29:44] Ikeda reflects on the evacuation and how it affected his life and community [00:34:04] Ikeda discusses his thoughts on whether or not relocations of minority groups would happen again