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May 4, 2004
Prisoner of camps felt betrayed
Lee Kauftheil
Mesa Legend
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| Mas Inoshita spent time in a Japanese internment
camp. |
Mas Inoshita, an 84-year-old, first-generation
Japanese-American, who is a WWII veteran and spent time in a Japanese
interment camp, was invited to talk to MCC students and faculty by Wendera
Phung and the Asian Pacific Islander’s Club for Asian Awareness
Week.
Inoshita has been sharing his story with students from fifth grade and
above for over 20 years.
When speaking about the experiences of his family and other Japanese-American
citizens at the time, he compared it to the wrongs he sees that the American
government has done to African-Americans and Native Americans. Inoshita
said he sees the treatment of these three groups of people as the great
injustices and unfulfilled promises made by America.
Inoshita has come to raise awareness of an event that he said is often
not taught or is barely covered in classrooms. For all the things he sees
wrong with America, Inoshita said he still loves his country and tells
his story to set the record straight.
Joan Martinez, during a short question and answer session after Inoshita
had finished speaking, said she had grown up in a town that was the site
of one of the camps where Japanese-Americans had been held. She said during
her childhood, the subject was not discussed in schools even though there
was a rumor that those in the camp had built the school’s gymnasium
during the time of their internment.
Inoshita spoke about his anger and feelings of betrayal toward white men
during the time. He said he was given six days to sell all of his possessions,
which at that time was a very large farm with livestock and about 200
acres of land. He also spoke about being forced to sell a team of horses
for $25 and throwing in hay for free just to make the deal. Inoshita spoke
of his friends in the white community who had redeemed some of his hope.
He spoke of his father’s friend, who he knew as Filbric, a man who
insisted that Inoshita stop selling all of his expensive equipment at
a substantial loss, and instead put it up in Filbric’s barn till
he could come back and start his life again. He spoke of his Polish barber
who had farmland in Wisconsin and offered Inoshita and his family safe
haven there away from California.
Inoshita spoke with a calm and level tone and even made a few jokes about
an experience that embittered thousands of Americans. He remembered the
number 17249 - the number he was given by the American government. He
said he was not tattooed with it but every correspondence that left his
home had to bear that number. He remembered his stay in assembly camps
that served as temporary lodgings until the interment camps were built,
his cramped quarters in row seven, stable 12 that he shared with the rest
of his family and eating liver and tongue for lunch.
Inoshita spoke briefly about his tour of duty in the military. He said
he was a translator and soldier for just under three and a half years
and experienced covert racism while serving his country.
Since 1946, Inoshita has been living in Glendale and has spoken to raise
awareness since he was first asked to speak by a teacher at a local school.
Jose Gonzolez said he was invited by APIC and said he connected to the
parts in Inoshita’s speech regarding segregation. He was glad to
have the chance to see the diversity on campus. Yudith Rahardjc and Winson
Yu are both members of APIC and said they felt that Inoshita’s talk
really brought history alive. Clayton Retuolack heard about the speech
from his history teacher and came because of his interest in history.
Inoshita is an American. He was a farmer and community leader, a cook
in the camps, then a soldier and now he serves as a teacher trying to
ensure people do not overlook things that he thinks should be remembered.
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