Lou-Peachum

Not OP, but my family owned land/operated a farm in Central California. When they were ordered to leave, many families ended up losing a lot of their farmland.

My family was one of the few lucky ones; when they were ordered to leave, my great grandfather's neighbor, a white man, promised to look after their farm and promised to return it when/if they were ever let out. When they finally left, he returned the farm in full.

This is awesome that your grandmother/great aunt are willing to do this.

My grandmother and grandfather were also former internment camp incarcerees. I was wondering what their perception was towards the forced internment during the whole ordeal and, now, looking back in retrospect??

After asking my grandmother about these things, it's surprising that she recounts it being a relatively fun time in her life. However, she was still a very little girl, about 6, so all she did was play. She said her older brothers/sisters and parents were much more stressed about it

For this exact reason, I interviewed my grandmother - video and audio. It truly fascinates me and keeps me optimistic during these times. Plus, it's a memory that will live on for my family and for future generations.

It's sad to say that within 5-10 years, most of these stories will be buried forever.