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Description
Albert Muratsuchi interviewed George Nakano on May 16, 2004 at his office in Torrance, California. The recording equipment was monitored by Ed Mitoma and Clarissa Muratsuchi took notes during the interview. George Sakaye [Sakae] Nakano was born in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles. Nakano's parents were Kibei, born in Hawaii, then educated in Japan before returning to the US. Nakano grew up in Los Angeles until he was six years old. When WWII started, the Nakano family was incarcerated in the incarceration camps at Jerome, Arkansas and Tule Lake, California. Following the end of the war, the Nakanos resettled in Norwalk and then East Los Angeles. Nakano graduated from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in 1954 and worked at Hughes Aircraft while attending evening classes at El Camino College in Torrance and California State University, Los Angeles where he earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics and his master's degree in education. Nakano was the first Japanese American elected to the Torrance City Council in 1984 and served four terms until he was elected to the California State Assembly in 1998. At the time of this interview, he was finishing his second four-year term. Nakano was interviewed as part of the South Bay Historical Project created by the South Bay Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League. Includes sixteen oral histories reflecting the various experiences of South Bay Issei and Nisei. Some grew up on farms and others in suburban area; some were incarcerated during WWII in incarceration camps and some spent all or part of the war working and living in other parts of the US or Japan. All of them returned to the South Bay after WWII and observed the changes that have occurred in area through the end of the twentieth century.
Identity and values--Nisei Identity and values--Kibei World War II--Mass removal ('Evacuation') World War II--Temporary Assembly Centers World War II--Incarceration camps World War II--Incarceration camps--Education World War II--Incarceration camps--Incarcerees World War II--Resistance and dissidence World War II--Support from the non-Japanese American community World War II--Leaving camp--'Resettlement Activism and involvement--Politics Community activities--Sports--Kendo Community activities--Associations and organizations--Japanese American Citizens League
Place
Torrance, California Temporary Assembly Centers--Santa Anita Incarceration Camps--Jerome Incarceration Camps--Tule Lake
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