“…enemy aliens couldn’t live north of University Avenue, including the north side of the street, where we lived.”
We lived at 1813 University Avenue in Berkeley, between Grant Street and Grove Street (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Way). We had just purchased the house in 1939. We had to use the name of a relative who was a citizen because my oldest sister, Masako, was under 21 and my parents, as “aliens,” couldn’t purchase property.
When the War broke out, there were proclamations on telephone poles saying that enemy aliens couldn’t live north of University Avenue, including the north side of the street, where we lived. So my folks rented a room from the Oyamadas, the parents of my friend Kaz, who lived across the street on the south side of University. My folks moved to the Oyamadas’ with the two youngest kids, Sab and Yachi. I stayed in our house with my older brothers, Frank and Seiichi, and sister, Masako.
I was very young, in the 7th grade. It was overwhelming. In our time of fear and bewilderment, Mr. and Mrs. Oyamada opened their hearts, and the Kami family feels forever grateful.
About the contributor: Yaeko Kami Yedlosky was born and raised in Berkeley. Her family was in Tanforan and later, Topaz. She graduated junior high in Topaz in 1945. The family returned to Berkeley after the War, and their home served as a hostel for returning internees. After graduating Berkeley High and Armstrong Business College, Yae worked for a research station as a secretary and later, administrator. She currently resides in Oakland, CA.
Copyright Yae Kami Yedlosky, 2016. All rights reserved.