Interview with Shigeo "William" Seko

タイトル
Interview with Shigeo "William" Seko
Accession number
2010.037
Interviewer
Lisa Uyeda
Videographer
Lisa Uyeda
Date of Interview
Language
English
Description

In this interview Shigeo William Seko, born in Point Grey, British Columbia in 1917, describes his life growing up in BC, his time an internment camp, his deportation to Japan, and his return to Canada in 1953. After attending school until 8th grade, Shigeo worked on his family's farm and drove produce for other local farmers. He also worked at a logging camp. When he was in his early twenties, he was sent to Angler, ON, also known as POW Camp 101, while the rest of his family was sent to Lemon Creek. He describes his life and living conditions in Angler. He remained in Angler until the end of the war in 1945 and then was deported to Japan along with his parents. He describes his family in Japan and his community coming together to provide lodging for his family. Together they worked on a farm. In Japan, he met his wife and had two children. To give them a better life, he decided to return to Canada in 1953 and was able to send for his family in 1957. In Canada, Shiego worked various jobs driving, physical labour, and owned his own business in landscaping. Due to injury, he had to stop this job and worked until retirement for a clothing company.

Format
Videotape
Video File
Length of Interview
1 hr 22 min
Period
Pre War
Post War
World War II
1900s
1910s
1940s
1950s
1970s
Event
Redress
World War II
Relocation
Forced Removal
Internment
Location
Vancouver, BC
Hiroshima, Japan
Japan
Haney, BC
Maple Ridge, BC
Angler, ON
Petawawa, ON
Lemon Creek, BC
Oakville, ON
Toronto, ON
Angler, ON
Japan
Lemon Creek, BC
Maple Ridge, BC
Oakville, ON
Vancouver, BC
Topic
family
boat works
farming
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC)
volunteer
children
employment
logging
education
language
food
internment camps
road camps
bathhouse
military
censorship
sports
health
deportation
travel
housing
religion
transportation
Number of Physical Tapes
2
Permission
For uses other than research or private study, researchers must submit a Request for Permission to Publish, Exhibit or Broadcast form.
Citation
Shigeo "William" Seko, interview by Lisa Uyeda, July 19, 2010, 2010.037, Sedai: The Japanese Canadian Legacy Project Collection, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.