Tadashi Tatsui

TADASHI TATSUI
Family # 1223
Camp: Manzanar, CA
Address: 6-14-5 and 28-14-1

My father came to the United States in 1919 from Hiroshima with his two older brothers. Mother came later. Dad did many jobs like most immi­grants – farming, produce stand, gardening. Af­ter World War II, Dad packed goods in a dry good warehouse. My brother worked at the same plant and at Sears. My younger sister taught elementary school.


I was in junior high school in Los Angeles when the war began. All kinds of sports interested me.

After Pearl Harbor things became hectic as rumors of camp grew and rumors about our bad disloyalty were rampant. My broth­er and I stayed closer to home.

My worst experience was having to sit in home­room class as President Roosevelt gave his declaration of war speech. I was stunned, but the nice teacher put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Don’t feel bad, we know you had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor.”

When my uncle got orders to go to Man­zanar, my father vol­unteered to go with his younger brother so we quickly sold, literally gave away, everything we owned except what we could carry to Manzanar.

I remember my brother and I tried to sell our new bikes but every merchant knew we were desperate so we couldn’t get even a quarter of their worth. Luckily, my dad’s insur­ance friend was visiting and he felt so sorry for us he bought both at a reasonable price.

We went directly to the train depot in LA and boarded a train to Manzanar. I carried my one year old sister and a cloth bag so Mom, Dad, and Brother could carry their allotted two suitcases or bags. We took mostly clothes. The trip to Manzanar was grim even though it was April Fool Day.

We were among the first groups to arrive at Manzanar. Only six blocks were built (camp eventually grew to 36 blocks) and we were assigned to Block 6. Enough topsoil was removed so it was very dusty. We had just one small room for the five of us so it was crowded with very little privacy. The armed MPs were always visible in their Jeeps and in the watch towers.

As the camp grew in size, schools and churches were opened, and activities developed. Fortunately, some friends from LA came and we immediately formed a club to play baseball, football, and basketball and to attend church.

School had a few dedicated teachers – I especially recall a blind speech teacher who patiently taught us how to pronounce the “Th” and “R” sounds. But the curriculum was limited. It was difficult to plan for the future, especially college. Being young, I think I was able to endure camp better than the older people and parents.

My brother graduated high school in camp and went to Chicago to look for a job. When he found a job and an apartment, we followed. Fortunately Chicago accepted us with little prejudice. I was still in high school. I wasn’t too motivated in school because I was so far behind the other students and I had a part time job I had to go to after school. I had to support myself because the family had so little money when we left Manzanar.

Camp changed a lot of people’s lives. My brother had to assume the leadership of the family as Dad found his skills as a farmer and gardener useless in Chicago.

I went from a part time worker to a full-time worker at the same plant. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I tried auto repair school, but that didn’t work out. It wasn’t until after the Korean War that I was able to use the GI Bill to go to college and get a BA and MA degree from the University of Illinois.

My advice to students from my Manzanar expe­rience is that we should be careful and watchful that it should never hap­pen again. To have your rights as a citizen be denied and taken away because you happen to be of a different race and to look a little different is unconstitutional.

Wind and Dust
This wind and dust I have to bear
How hard it blows I do not care.
But when the wind begins to blow – ­
My morale is pretty low.
I know that I can see it through
Because others have to bear it too.
So I will bear it with the rest
And hope the outcome is the best.
– George Nishimura, age 16 (Manzanar, 1943)

Read this to learn more about the demographics of each of the ten facilities administered by the War Relocation Authority.

Back to ID booklet main page.