Interview with Miyoko "Miyo" Nakamura (nee Fujita)

Title
Interview with Miyoko "Miyo" Nakamura (nee Fujita)
Accession number
2011.021
Interviewer
Lisa Uyeda
Videographer
Lisa Uyeda
Date of Interview
Language
English
Description

Miyoko "Miyo" Nakamura (nee Fujita) was born in New Westminster, BC. She reads a document with her biography that talks about her father's hope to turn their land into a berry farm, her parents' immigration, her father's employment in a copper mine, and her mother's disappointment with immigrating. She talks about her early education in Ruskin, BC. She also talks about celebrations like New Years and Christmas as well as religious rituals growing up. During the war, her family was interned in Tashme, BC. She talks about life there including her teaching Grade 3 and her education. She relocated to Kingston, ON and staying at the YWCA when their prospective employer rejected them and finding other domestic work. She talks about meeting her husband and her family who were still in Tashme joining her in Kingston. After that, she moved to Toronto and she talks about her life there. She talks about the people who first started the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) and her involvement with the cultural centre, and the Japanese Canadian Redress.

Clip from Japanese Canadian Experience Conference: https://vimeo.com/338694156

Format
Videotape
Video File
Length of Interview
1 hr 43 min
Period
Pre War
Post War
World War II
Event
Redress
World War II
Attack on Pearl Harbour
Location
New Westminster, BC
Ruskin, BC
Tashme, BC
Kingston, ON
Powell Street, Vancouver, BC
Whonnock, BC
Hope, BC
Toronto, ON
Topic
family
farming
curfew
education
housing
employment
food
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC)
marriage
Buddhism
radio
photography
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
religion
language
United Church
immigration
travel
discrimination
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
Miyoko "Miyo" Nakamura, interview by Lisa Uyeda, January 20, 2011, 2011.021, Sedai: The Japanese Canadian Legacy Project Collection, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.