Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Yae Aihara Interview
Narrator: Yae Aihara
Interviewer: Megan Asaka
Location: Denver, Colorado
Date: July 4, 2008
Densho ID: denshovh-ayae-01-0013

YA: Well, the first thing we saw in Crystal City was a statue of Popeye, 'cause that's the spinach capital of the world. That's where, Zavala County, that's the spinach capital. And then from, after seeing that, we were driven into Crystal City and taken to... we lived in a triplex with two other families. And we arrived there with the clothes on our backs. We hadn't taken shower for four days on the train. No change of clothes, so they immediately got clothes, clothing for us. And got to know our neighbors, our housemates. There was a couple, and I knew her niece, I happened to know her niece. And there was another family from Hawaii.

MA: In general, what, who were the other internees there? Where were they from? Were they from all over?

YA: All over. They were mostly from California. And the mainlanders... there weren't too many from the mainland. Mostly from Peru. Peruvians were, there were lots of Peruvians. I would say half were Peruvians. So because the mainland Niseis were, you know, we were a very small group, so we got to know everybody. And we are lifelong friends.

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