Yuri (Matsumoto) Okamoto
Yuri Matsumoto Okamoto, who was raised in Gilroy, California, recalls the feelings of uncertainty and upset that she and her family experienced after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite her fears that she would be looked upon as the enemy, Okamoto’s friends and classmates were accepting of her Japanese heritage and did not discriminate against her. Okamoto describes how her parents felt “sabotaged” by Japan when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and eventually being evicted and imprisoned Gila River WRA Concentration Camp after moving to avoid exclusion zones. She recalls from her experiences at Gila River what life was like for a teenage girl just graduated from high school, how elements of the family structure broke down in camp, and how different people she interacted with answered the “loyalty” questionnaire in different ways.
