Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: George Yoshida Interview
Narrator: George Yoshida
Interviewers: Alice Ito (primary), John Pai (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: February 18, 2002
Densho ID: denshovh-ygeorge-01-0022

GY: What we did was we had some Japanese records like the Waseda University or some children's songs and Japanese records. Again, we did not want to be associated as being Japanese. Oh, no, it's bad. Enemy. So we destroyed records as many families did, and whatever personal things that we couldn't take we just burned or whatever. I remember families, non-Japanese people come to see what we would, we could sell. The piano went for ten or fifteen dollars, whatever it was. That was about the only thing that we sold that was worthwhile. The other stuff was stored. A few things were stored including these photographs, fortunately. And they were stored at, in large trunks at the Union Church in downtown Los Angeles, I think. We were members of that church. So that was that. Now, one thing I kept, which I took to camp for my personal use, was a record carrying case of LP -- not LP but the 78 rpm records of my favorite pop music -- Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey stuff. Carried them to camp besides another suitcase with spare pants, suits, whatever, shirts. And my sister was very much upset because I took these records, and, "Hey, you're supposed to carry other things. What's the matter with you, George?" Well, she was sort of, she was sort of the, what's the word I want? I was just the -- standing back and -- and she'd take care of the, kind of the family. Other business of family. But she was very much upset about that, but I could not bear leaving my records behind.

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