Internment – Time of Remembrance – Ken Ouchida
Ken Ouchida was born September 24, 1930, in Sacramento. He is the oldest of seven children born to Harold and Edith Ouchida. During the war years, his family was relocated to Gila, Arizona, on the Gila River Indian Reservation – a “reservation within a reservation.” Ken attended high school in the camp, but returned to Elk Grove High School when his family was released from camp. He graduated from Elk Grove High School, despite dealing with issues of racism, and went on to college and a career in pharmacy.
Ken Ouchida Interview
00:00 – Clip 1: Ken remembers the food he was served at camp.
01:30 – Clip 2: Talks about camp and returning from camp to Elk Grove High School. How hard it was being Japanese at Elk Grove High School.
04:04 – Clip 3: Grandfather died in camp due to doctors moving to the East Coast for work.
05:12 – Clip 4: Talks about camp life for Issei (born in Japan) and shares memories of his grandfather, who had great faith in President Roosevelt.
06:54 – Clip 5: Uncle with the 442nd – mother used to let him read the letters send from his uncle in the army. Uncle was fighting to make it easier for them at home. side of the family–remembers the games they played in camp.
08:04 – Clip 6: More stories he remembers from his uncles’ letters. Stories about fellow servicemen who had relatives from Hawaii who would send “goodies” in their packages from home because they were not put in camps.
First-Hand Accounts of the Internment Experience
It is our hope that these stories will build on the work and legacy of the late Mary Tsukamoto, who devoted her life to promoting social justice for all, regardless of race, creed, or ethnicity.
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To learn more about the Time Remembrance Project, please visit: http://blogs.egusd.net/tor/
For more information about the Vietnam War, please visit: http://blogs.egusd.net/tor/interviews/vietnam-war/
