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Identifier
HibinoHenry_2010_CRP
Description
In this interview, Henry Hibino talks about his and his family’s experiences as Japanese-Americans living in Salinas California before and after World War Two and about the internment of Japanese-Americans during the war. Mr. Hibino, the son of first-generation Japanese immigrant farm laborers, was born and raised in the Salinas valley, experienced the internment during WWII as a boy of seven years, and returned to Salinas after the war and eventually went on to become a successful businessman and mayor of Salinas. Mr. Hibino shares the tale of how his family came to the Salinas area as well as stories from his pre-war youth, about his father’s shoe shop on Alisal Street, his father’s shift to being a farm laborer, and his memories about attending American school during the week and Japanese school on the weekend. Mr. Hibino then recounts the internment period and what it was like to be a child (7-10) in the camps, of not understanding what was happening, and of having as normal a childhood as possible. Mr. Hibino then discusses the prejudices that faced the Japanese upon returning to Salinas, but how, in his circle of friends, race was not an issue. He also talks about Chinatown in the late 1940s, its markets and restaurants, and his family’s home on Lake Street. The role of education, both in Mr. Hibino’s life as well as to the Japanese community in general, is discussed, as are gender roles and the differing generational experiences from his parents to his grandchildren. There is also a recurring discussion of the prospects for the renewal of Chinatown.
Interview Date
10-9-2010
Interviewer
Grant Leonard; Carlos Canedo
Geographic Coverage
Salinas (Calif.)
Subjects
Chinatown (Salinas, Calif.); Japanese American families; World War II--Incarceration camps; Incarceration Camps--Poston (Colorado River); Japanese American farmers; Local government--California
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
Hibino, Henry and California State University, Monterey Bay, "Interview with Henry Hibino" (2010). Chinatown Renewal Project. 30.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/ohcma_chinatown/30
Rights Statement
