[The conductor] said…”This train goes through Canada and Canada will not allow entry by Japanese.”
When the War started, we lived in Berkeley, California, where my father was the minister of the Berkeley Free Methodist Church—a church he had founded in 1923. The congregation was initially Issei, but by 1942, the second generation was reaching early adulthood; so although the services were conducted in Japanese, the scriptures and hymns were read and sung in both languages. The Sunday School was conducted in English.
Our family of six consisted of our dad, Masamoto, 46; my mom, Kimiko, 42; and my sister and brothers: Rhoda, 17; Dwight, 15; Jonathan, 10; and myself, 8. Initially we went to Tanforan Assembly Center in May 1942 and lived in Barrack 72, Unit 1. Our barrack was newly built and was located in the North Parking Lot, about 500 yards from the Grandstand.
We arrived in Topaz on September 17, 1942 and endured “camp life” in Block 12, Barrack 12, Unit E. We were among the earlier arrivals in Topaz. I believe this was the case because of my father’s leadership position in the community.
In early 1943 came the beginning of our deliverance. My sister, who was an outstanding student at Topaz High, was informed that she had been awarded a full scholarship to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Her scholarship was made possible by the National Student Relocation Council, which was an NGO organized by leading college presidents under the auspices of the Quakers in Philadelphia. Rhoda’s sponsor was a Vassar alumna from Los Angeles whose husband was a federal judge who had previously been a lawyer for the ACLU.
After seeing Rhoda off to Vassar in early September 1943, my mom was determined to leave Topaz as soon as possible to be nearer to Rhoda. My father had a sister-in-law, Dr. Megumi Shinoda, whose father, Dr. Minosuke Yamaguchi, was a physician in New York City about 75 miles from Poughkeepsie. He was willing to sponsor us.
My oldest brother Dwight and my dad were the next to leave. Dwight later told us what a great laugh he got when he and dad boarded the train in Delta. The conductor asked the two of them, “Are you boys joining the Army?” They were trying to get to New York in time to enroll Dwight in high school for the spring semester of 1944. That paid off as Dwight completed high school in New York and earned a scholarship to Harvard.
Mother, Jonathan and I left Topaz in March 1944. The government gave us one-way tickets and $25 per person and let us go. We were finally free!
When we got to Chicago, we transferred to the New York Central. As the train began to pull out of the LaSalle Street Station, the conductor came by to punch our tickets. He looked at my mother and asked her nationality. She replied, “Japanese.”
He said, “Just tell me you are Filipino. This train goes through Canada, and Canada will not allow entry by Japanese.”
She said that would be a lie and she wouldn’t tell a lie. He said, “If that’s the case, you’ll have to get off here,” and he pulled the emergency stop cord.
We were left on the trackbed outside the station and somehow got back to the station and caught another train to New York City through Ohio. That was our first inkling that, although we had left Topaz, it would be with us for a long time to come.
And today, 80 years later, when I hear chants of “Send her back!!” I am reminded that the forces of fear and hate are still with us, and the shadow of Topaz looms over us all.
To view raw video footage of Joe reading his story at the Topaz Stories reception in the Utah State Capitol on April 22, 2022, click here.
About the contributor: Joseph Nishimura was born in Berkeley, CA, where his father was the pastor of the Berkeley Free Methodist Church, which he founded. The Nishimura family of six was interned in Tanforan and Topaz, but resettled in New York City in 1944. Returning to Berkeley in 1945, Joe’s father resumed his ministry and Joe went to Berkeley High School. He graduated from Princeton, served in the U.S. Navy, got an MBA from Stanford, and had a successful career in business and financial management until retirement. Joe and his wife, Joyce, live in Palo Alto.