Downloadable Content
Download audio
Other
Diaz, Nami Nakashima (audio interview #1 of 1)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - Nami Nakashima Diaz was interviewed in her home in Signal Hill. It was neatly kept and in a small group of homes built in the 1960s, after the oil boom. TOPICS - childhood; education; family background; Japanese farmers; Mexican farmers; anti alien land laws; and Japanese Association;family background; 1933 Long Beach earthquake; Depression; Western Star Vegetable Fertilizer; and oil wells;childhood; education; Eva Anderson; Long Beach Women's Symphony; Santa Anita Racetrack; internment; Jerome, Arkansas; WWII; and FBI; 12/18/1989
- Date
- 2022-10-21
- Resource Type
- Creator
- Campus
- Keywords
- Handle
- Language
- Notes
- SUBJECT BIO - Nami Nakashima Diaz lived most of her life in Signal Hill. Although she was born in Long Beach, her family moved to Signal Hill while she was a little girl. She remembers the hill as an agricultural area covered with flowers, vegetables and fruit until oil was discovered. When oil was discovered under her family's land, they moved to west Long Beach and her father used his small income from oil to open a fertilizer business. He was successful in selling Western Star Vegetable Fertilizers to Japanese farmers all over southern California. Diaz graduated from high school and continued studying violin and playing in the Long Beach Women's Symphony until she married. In this single interview, Diaz discusses the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, after which her father was one of the first to be detained. Soon Diaz and her brothers and sisters learned they had to leave as well, but her mother who was of Mexican descent, stayed home. They were sent to Santa Anita racetrack to live in horse stalls. After a few months, Diaz was sent home along with others married to non-Japanese. But the FBI kept her and even her new baby under surveillance. At the time of the interview, Diaz was again living in Signal Hill; the interview was conducted as part of a project to document the history of Signal Hill. INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - Nami Nakashima Diaz was interviewed in her home in Signal Hill. It was neatly kept and in a small group of homes built in the 1960s, after the oil boom. TOPICS - childhood; education; family background; Japanese farmers; Mexican farmers; anti alien land laws; and Japanese Association;family background; 1933 Long Beach earthquake; Depression; Western Star Vegetable Fertilizer; and oil wells;childhood; education; Eva Anderson; Long Beach Women's Symphony; Santa Anita Racetrack; internment; Jerome, Arkansas; WWII; and FBI;
- *** File: shndiaz1.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-3:47)... Identification Diaz was born in at home Long Beach in 1916. Her parents owned an ice cream parlor at the Pike. After WWI there was no sugar or ingredients available so they went broke. Then her family moved to Signal Hill and started raising cantaloupes and cucumbers. Most Japanese people in the area farmed; there weren't many other jobs work available in Long Beach, especially for minorities. Her family moved to west Long Beach after oil was discovered on Signal Hill. Her father owned land and leased it to an oil company. (3:47-6:54)... When her family moved to the westside, she was 6 and had 4 siblings. When she graduated from grammar school, she was sent "into town" for junior high school and then on to Poly High School. When her family lived on Signal Hill, they lived in a small bungalow, close to the Hinshaw house whose residents had a parrot that sang church songs. Her father worked as a gardener for people in those big houses until he got his own place. There were many wide open spaces and a settlement of Mexican families who farmed in the area. It was similar to the barrio on the westside. Many of the Mexican workers were employed by Japanese farmers. (6:54-8:34)... On Signal Hill, there were guava orchards and Japanese farmers grew flowers, watermelon, other crops. Cucumbers were protected from frost by the sloping hills. When oil was discovered, everything changed and oil companies mutilated the land. (8:34-10:55)... The discovery of oil on Signal Hill brought great changes. One Japanese family became millionaires when oil was discovered under land they owned. They bought a house in east Long Beach and had a maid. Japanese immigrants in those days had to buy land in their children's names; Asian immigrants couldn't own land. Her family had fifty feet of land with one derrick on it but their well wasn't a big producer. The oil well brought in some income, however, and her father used it to start a commercial fertilizer business. He did well until WWII and then he lost everything when he was sent to a relocation camp. After that, Japanese people were afraid to come back and farm. (10:55-15:06)... Diaz's father' bought 2 acres on the westside and built a warehouse. Many other Japanese families moved to the westside and other areas outside Signal Hill where they could farm. Her parents belonged to the Japanese Association. Association members met once a month, pooled their money and loaned it to those who needed to buy seeds, fertilizer or other supplies. Most were very honest about paying money back. (15:06-16:15)... When her father owned his business on the Pike, banked at the Farmers & Merchants Bank. The Walker family ran the bank and Mr. Walker was always in the bank and was friendly to all the customers. When her father owned the fertilizer business he banked with Bank of America in the old part of Torrance. (16:15-19:20)... Diaz father was born in Japan and went to Hawaii when he was 14. His parents didn't want him to fight in the Russo-Japanese War. Many Japanese families at the time bought passage for their sons to be sent to Hawaii. They were expected to work their way to the mainland. Her father came to San Francisco and was sent to work at various jobs. For example, he worked as a houseboy in Pasadena, in orchards, cleaning Pacific Electric trolley cars and in a borax mine. At first he couldn't speak English, but people he worked for encouraged him to learn. When he got back to Los Angeles, he opened a restaurant. (19:20-23:40)... Diaz mother was of Mexican descent and her grandparents came from Texas. Her grandfather, Romolo Carmona, owned a bookstore in Los Angeles. and sold Spanish language books. It was near both Olvera St. and Chinatown. When her grandfather became ill, he retired and returned to Texas. The books from the store were stored in her father's warehouse. She never learned to speak or read Spanish. (23:40-27:39)... Her grandfather originally was from Chihuahua where he family a small farm next door to a big hacienda. Her grandfather grew up with one of the children on the hacienda and was exposed to books. He became the school teacher in his village before he decided he wanted to moved north. He had a life long interest in the finer things of life. For example, he loved classical music. She had a half-sister, who was Mexican and who wrote letters to their grandfather in Spanish. They always came back with the grammar, spelling, etc. corrected so she soon stopped writing. Her mother didn't know what to do with all of those books after her grandfather died. She saved a few that seemed really special. (27:39-30:35)... Diaz went to the Japanese school on Signal Hill for a year or two. She never really learned to read, write or speak Japanese. Her father hired a tutor for a few years but the lessons didn't sink in. Everyone spoke English in her home and the children grew up with speaking English. The children never spoke to older Japanese people because they didn't understand English. End of tape *** File: shndiaz2.mp3 (0:00-1:36)... Even in families where the parents spoke Japanese at home, many children did not learn it. The only children who really spoke Japanese very well were those who were sent to study in Japan. Some families would send one child to Japan to be educated but it was expensive so not too many families could afford it. (1:36-4:59)... Her family was poor when she was growing up and she didn't have many toys. She and she her friends played tag, fed her mother's chickens, walked up and down the hills, picked wild flowers and visited with other families. They like to walk up and down Cherry Av. which was like downtown to them. Her father had a bicycle which he rode to work when he worked downtown at the Crystal Cafeteria. He was ambitious always worked a lot. Sometimes she rode on the handle bars of her father's bike and went downtown with him. That was a treat. Once in a while, the family rode the Pacific Electric trolleys to visit her grandparents in Los Angeles. She also went with her mother to visit their Mexican neighbors. (4:59-8:38)... Her mother shopped on Anaheim and Cherry Av. and in Zaferia. Her mother sewed clothes for her children. After the war when thing were tight, she bought chicken feed in cloth sacks and bleached the sacks to make dresses. She also bought things by mail order from Montgomery Ward and salesmen came around such as those from Watkins. (8:38-11:46)... When her family moved to the westside, they used an old cart and horse to move their belongings. On Signal Hill, her father had a roadside stand where they sold their produce. After they moved to the westside, farmers gave her father fruit and vegetables when he called on them to see them fertilizer. Her family built a new house on their westside property but when they moved in, it didn't even have a roof; it was like camping out. Eventually, however, it was finished and her sister was living in the house at the time of the interview. (11:46-15:12)... When the Long Beach earthquake struck in 1933, she was eating dinner with her sister. The walls seemed to move and a few things were broken. She tried to run outside but the violent shaking prevented it. When she got outside, she was thrown to the ground and hurt her shoulder. Many people were frightened that a tsunami was coming. She was afraid to go back inside the house and waited in the family car. Her family ate at a soup at kitchen that was setup after the quake. (15:12-16:20)... At the time of the quake, she was going to Poly high. After the quake, she transferred to Wilmington-Banning High School for a semester. At Poly, classes were held in a tents. Since they lived on the westside, they had the choice of going to a Long Beach school or one in Wilmington. The buildings at Poly were not the same after the quake; more modern buildings were constructed. (16:20-19:01)... Her father's business was called Western Star Vegetable Fertilizer. Later he also started a fly spray business and the spray was called Nox-a-fly. Before he started his own, business he worked as a salesman for another Japanese fertilizer manufacturer; the only other fertilizer suppliers were big American companies. He recognized a business opportunity and borrowed money to get started. He sold fertilizer all over California. As the business grew he hired salesmen to help sell his products, but he always controlled the the paperwork. He did this until WWII when his business was closed down and he lost everything. (19:01-21:58)... Her father's business was affected by the Depression. He sent fertilizer to farmers and let them pay for it when their crops were harvested. They would always paid him. Whole families worked on the farms to get all of the work done; children worked before and after school. When the harvest was good farmers made a lot of money. Her father did not farm once they moved to the westside. (21:58-24:53)... Income from their oil well was good in the beginning but changed when a pipe broke and production slowed down. Her family included 7 brothers and sisters plus a half brother and sister. Her father's first car was a black Ford open touring care. They were thrilled when he picked them up on their way home from school. As the business grew, they moved into a larger house and they had a comfortable life. Later, her parents divorced later on. The only thing they never had was an education. (24:53-30:37)... There was a great deal of discrimination when she was growing up. Her mother was always afraid and told them they would not be able to get good jobs so she didn't emphasize education. Diaz, however, took music lessons and went dancing and to shows. She had a happy life and her parents were good to her. She was in high school when her parents separated. Her father moved to Torrance. She didn't experience discrimination in school. Mexican children primarily went to country schools, but Japanese children were sent to school in town. A lot of older people were prejudiced. Her mother would get angry when people stared at her and her sister and tried to figure out their ethnicity. Teachers asked them what nationality they were; the teachers, she believes, were just curious. Discrimination didn't really both her. She went where she wanted to go. She never saw minorities working in dime stores except the Chinese Dollar Store. End of tape *** File: shndiaz3.mp3 (0:00-7:31)... Identification Minorities had a better chance in Los Angeles than in Long Beach. In Los Angeles many Japanese worked in civil service jobs. She didn't work while growing up. She graduated from Poly in 1934 and went on to Long Beach City College. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She continued taking violin lessons until she got married and played in the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra and in the Women's Symphony. They played at the old auditorium downtown and they played concerts in other towns. At the time of the interview, Diaz still had a long, apricot colored lace dress she wore when playing concerts. Eva Anderson directed the Women's Symphony but it was not a professional group. She also played in the South Bay Orchestra. Eventually she stopped playing because the lessons were expensive. (7:31-8:13)... Her brother introduced her to her future husband at a beach party. At the time of the interview, they'd been married 50 years. Her husband has worked on the waterfront all his life. When he was young he worked as a longshoreman for a few years, later he worked as a checker. (8:13-13:30)... After the bombing of Pearl Harbor they didn't know what might happen. Her father was taken away along with the first group of businessmen. His family was not told where they were taking him. They found a note on their door saying to pack and meet at the Pacific Electric trolley station on Ocean Ave. or be arrested. They boarded a streetcar and were taken to Santa Anita where they stayed for five and a half months. Her husband went with her to the center but since he wasn't Japanese, he wasn't required to stay so after 4 months he left to try to get her out. He was unable to get her out and was not allowed to return. She lived with her family in what had previously been stables for horses. They were given cots and sacks that they could fill with hay. Later the were later given mats to sleep on. The stalls had not been cleaned when the horses were moved out. The food was really bad because there was no refrigeration. People got sick and the toilets backed up. They were only allowed to bring what they could carry. Her family took care of their stuff. Other Japanese left their stuff behind and lost most of it. Her father lost everything because the people who were suppose to take care of his things did not. People married to non-Japanese people were allowed to leave the relocation centers. (13:30-17:00)... Eventually her family was sent to Jerome, Arkansas. Her three brothers enlisted in the army and her two sisters went to work in Chicago. When her father returned to California, at the end of the war, he became a citizen. Her father lost a lot but he returned to the family home; he lived in one house and her sister and brother-in-law lived in the other. Then he borrowed money and built two more houses on land that he owned. He lived on the income from these houses and he never gave up. He was 84 when he died and he was still sharp. (17:00-22:13)... She and her husband were living on the westside when she saw a notice of a lot for sale on Signal Hill. They bought the property and later bought the property next to it. built a house and moved there in 1960 or 1961. The Denim family ran the town at the time they moved in. They were generally not bothered. When they had a lot of trouble with the oil pipelines underground and the ground caved in, representatives from the city of Signal Hill came out and fixed the problems. (22:13-27:22)... She has never spoken to her children about her experience during WWII. It was terrible not knowing where they would be spent and what would happen to them. Her father thought they would be killed. All her comforts were taken away and the food was bad because it wasn't properly stored. On certain days Japanese food was served and this was hard for non-Japanese people in the camp. It makes her angry that some people think they had it easy in the camps. The guards had guns and they were pretty and mean. When visitors brought presents the guards took them away. She had a friend that brought her cocoa but was not allowed to keep it. They had to apply for a pass if they wanted visit someone outside the camp. The guards were above them in towers. They were not allowed to go near the fences. (27:22-30:36)... She did not work while she was in the camp. People never asked her what her ethnicity was. The police and FBI had a large file on her family. When her first child was born the FBI visited her and told her when he was 1 week old and gave her a permit for him to live in the western United States. The FBI had her under surveillance all of the time. At the time of the interview, she didn't she'd receive the $20,000 settlement from the government. End of tape
- Rights Note
- This repository item may be used for classroom presentations, unpublished papers, and other educational, research, or scholarly use. Other uses, especially publication in any form, such as in dissertations, theses, articles, or web pages are not permitted without the express written permission of the individual collection's copyright holder(s). Please contact the CSULB Library Administration should you require permission to publish or distribute any content from this collection or if you need additional information or assistance in using these materials: https://www.csulb.edu/university-library/form/questionssuggestions-the-digital-repository-group
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Visibility | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4594418776173618-shndiaz1.mp3 | 2023-10-19 | Public | Download |
|
|
1442525165612850-shndiaz2.mp3 | 2023-10-19 | Public | Download |
|
2834954208349192-shndiaz3.mp3 | 2023-10-19 | Public | Download |