Noboru Nakamura
Noboru Nakamura was born in Japan while his siblings were studying as Kibei Nisei. In this interview, Nakamura describes immigrating to the United States and experiencing hardships due to the Great Depression. He discusses the changes in his life that took place after the attack on Pearl Harbor, including his father’s arrest by the FBI and internment at Santa Fe and Lordsburg Department of Justice Internment Camps. Nakamura then recalls being forcibly evicted and incarcerated at Poston WRA Concentration Camp and playing the saxophone in a camp dance band before finding work outside of camp. He explains being turned away after volunteering to join the 442nd Regimental Combat Team because of his status as an “enemy alien” before eventually joining the Military Intelligence Service and serving abroad. Throughout the interview, Nakamura speaks critically about the Eurocentric nature of the United States and how racism affected his life.
