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Identifier
IkedaSusumu_2010_CRP
Description
Mr. Ikeda tells stories about his life in Salinas as a Japanese American. He begins by discussing his earliest memories of his life growing up on a farm in the Salinas valley. He tells tales of what it was like working on a farm with his father and describes the household roles that his other family members played. He goes on to describe his memories of Chinatown in Salinas. He talks about the fact that his family would go through Chinatown once in a while to eat at the Chinese restaurants (Chop Suey House as he calls it) and how much he enjoyed spending time there. He describes Chinatown as a place that his family enjoyed going to watch his father play billiards and do a lot of the family shopping. The next portion of the interview is all about the Japanese internment camp. Mr. Ikeda recalls what it was like to pack up his belongings, abandon his home and go to the internment camp. He tells the story about how FBI came to his home and took his father away from the rest of his family. He describes the emotions that he felt being separated from his father and what it was like at the Japanese internment camp in Poston, Arizona. He describes the internment camp as just a part of his life and talks about how they adapted to life in the camp. He shares what it was like to finish his high school education in the camp and how he came to start his first career just outside of the internment camp. After reflecting on the internment camp, he describes what it was like for him and his family to reintegrate back into society after the war and their new settlement in San Jose, California. The last portion of the interview was Mr. Ikeda describing life after the internment camp. He recalls what is was like for his family to settle in a new place with many others in his same situation. He describes how he met his wife and tells a little bit about her life. He talks about starting his own family. He tells us about his son, his two grandchildren and how busy they keep he and his wife today. The vary last portion of the interview was his reflections about his life as a whole and how he feels fortunate to have lived such a fulfilling life.
Interview Date
11-14-2010
Interviewer
Kristofer Owens; Sean Poudrier
Geographic Coverage
Salinas (Calif.)
Subjects
Chinatown (Salinas, Calif.); Japanese American families; World War II--Incarceration camps; Incarceration Camps--Poston (Colorado River); United States--Armed Forces--Japanese Americans; Japanese American farmers
Type
Moving Image
Genre
Oral histories
Digital Format
video/mp4
Language
eng
Digital Collection
Chinatown Renewal Project
Repository
Archives & Special Collections of California State University, Monterey Bay
Disclaimer
These oral histories express the personal views, memories, and opinions of the interviewee. They do not represent the policy or views of California State University, Monterey Bay.
Recommended Citation
Ikeda, Susumu and California State University, Monterey Bay, "Interview with Susumu Ikeda" (2010). Chinatown Renewal Project. 11.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/ohcma_chinatown/11
Rights Statement
