Interview with Thomas Matsui

Title
Interview with Thomas Matsui
Accession number
2011.047
Interviewer
Lisa Uyeda
Videographer
Lisa Uyeda
Date of Interview
Language
English
Description

The interview is about Thomas (nickname Tom) Matsui, starting with his parent's background and Thomas' childhood home in Vancouver, including its Japanese bath. He goes into detail about discrimination faced, including having to defend himself from the Georgia Street Gang. He talks about the sports he played pre war. During the war his family his family had an interview in Mission City to try and keep the family together on a beet farm, before deciding to go to East Lillooet in Ontario. He talks about demographics, recreation, and education at East Lillooet. He studied engineering at the University of Toronto (Ajax Campus). Thomas talks about Nikkeis entering into professional ranks,and remembers pre war discrimination. Tom worked as an engineer in both Toronto and Kingston. He talks about the difference between generations, and details relearning Japanese at Momijii, in addition to his granddaughter's education. He closes the interview by talking about his photography in a self-built dark room in East Lillooet.

Clip from Japanese Canadian Experience Conference: https://vimeo.com/340935684

Format
Videotape
Video File
Length of Interview
1 hr 50 min
Period
Pre War
Post War
Event
Relocation
Forced Removal
Location
Japan
Vancouver, BC
Powell Street, Vancouver, BC
East Lillooet, BC
Toronto, ON
Kingston, ON
Topic
family
employment
marriage
education
housing
The Great Depression
discrimination
farming
military
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
sports
housing
religion
United Church
Jewish community
sports
religion
language
children
photography
logging
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
Thomas Matsui, interview by Lisa Uyeda, March 16, 2011, 2011.047, Sedai: The Japanese Canadian Legacy Project Collection, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.