by Roy Iwata
“…I wore jeans patched at the knees but was never hungry…”
My father was a proud man who would not accept welfare or help from anyone. We were not wealthy, but we always had food to eat. I wore jeans patched at the knees but was never hungry, and there was always some kind of fruit at home to eat. We ate roast turkey with the trimmings on Thanksgiving and Christmas and all kinds of Japanese food on New Year’s for three days.
One day I heard from friends that they were going to the Old Home Bakery on Second and N, which was distributing day-old bread to anyone who wanted it. I thought my parents would appreciate the bread, so I took my wagon and brought back three loaves.
When I proudly showed my father the bread, he immediately told me to return it. He said that we were not in need and that there may be others who were in worse need. So I solemnly took the bread back.
About the contributor: Roy Taichi Iwata was 12 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Roy’s family was sent to Walerga Assembly Center in Sacramento; then Tule Lake, CA; and finally, Topaz, UT in 1943. After the War, the Iwatas returned to Sacramento. Roy finished high school and joined the Army. While stationed in Japan, he married. The Iwatas settled in Sacramento and raised four children, celebrating almost 60 years of marriage. His memoir was shared with us by his daughter, Nancy Roskoff.
Copyright 2011, Roy Iwata. All rights reserved.
These are wonderful!
We’re really fortunate that some Topaz survivors recorded their thoughts and memories, and grateful that their sons or daughters shared their stories with us. Our country needs to hear these stories—especially now.