Forms part of the Japanese American Oral History Project.
Collection is open for research.
Thomas Shigeru Fujita was born in Milwaukie, Oregon, in 1931. During World War II, he and his family were among more than 120,000 Japanese Americans who were incarcerated by the U.S. government. They were sent first to the Portland Assembly Center, then to the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho. After the end of the war, Fujita returned to Portland. In 1956, he earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Reed College, then later earned a master's degree in the same subject from the University of Washington in Seattle. In 1959, he began teaching advanced organic chemistry and conducting research in chemistry at the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland. He also conducted research for Cooper Laboratories in Palo Alto, California. In 1968, he and Kay Christine Kuntz were married; they later had four children. Fujita died in 2012.
Sources: Vital records in Ancestry.com; information provided by Fujita in his interview; obituary for Fujita in Reed Magazine, September 2012, page 60.
Forms part of the Japanese American Oral History Project.
An incomplete transcript (15 pages) and a handwritten index (4 pages) are available for in-person use at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Oral history interview with Tom S. Fujita, by Jim Strassmaier, SR 967, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with Tom S. Fujita was conducted by Jim Strassmaier at Strassmaier's home in Portland, Oregon, in seven sessions from January 6, 1995, to March 1, 1995. The interview was part of the Japanese American Oral History Project, which was conducted by the Oregon Historical Society to preserve the stories of Japanese Americans in Oregon. In addition to the audio recordings, this collection includes four copies of a color photograph taken at the time of the interview; it shows Fujita, an unidentified woman who may be his wife, Kay Fujita, and a dog. The audio recording for the third interview session is incomplete, due to damage incurred during duplication of the cassette. Tapes 9 and 10 (interview sessions 4 and 5) have speed issues that affect audio quality.
In this interview, Fujita discusses his family background, and speaks at length about the lives of his parents, Haru Fujita and Seijiro Kuribayashi Fujita. He talks about his early life as a second-generation Japanese American in Milwaukie, Oregon, before World War II. He shares his memories of the aftermath of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941, and talks about his subsequent experiences during his incarceration by the U.S. government, first at the Portland Assembly Center and then at the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho. He discusses his later career conducting research and teaching organic chemistry at the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland, describes chemical compounds he developed during his research, and discusses chemicals he worked with. He talks about having rheumatic fever and tuberculosis, and his experiences with disability as a result. He also speaks extensively about his marriage to Kay Christine Kuntz.
Copyright for this interview and photograph is held by the Oregon Historical Society. Use is allowed according to the following statement: Creative Commons - BY-NC-SA,
Tape 1, Side 1 through Tape 3, Side 1. In the first interview session, conducted on January 6, 1995, Fujita discusses his family background, and speaks at length about the lives of his parents, Haru Fujita and Seijiro Kuribayashi Fujita. He talks about his early life as a second-generation Japanese American in Milwaukie, Oregon, before World War II, including life on the family farm in Milwaukie, his relationship with his family, and his recreational activities. He shares his memories of the Depression, talks about his school experiences, and describes a trip to Japan in 1938. He talks about the diversity of the Japanese American community in the Portland area, and about the community's businesses and activities. He discusses the origins of his name. He closes the session by talking about the concept of bringing shame to one's family in Japanese culture.
Tape 3, Side 2 to Tape 5, Side 2. In the second interview session, conducted on January 11, 1995, Fujita speaks further about the lives of his parents. He talks about the values his parents instilled in him. He shares his memories of the aftermath of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941, and talks about his experiences during his incarceration by the U.S. government, first at the Portland Assembly Center and then at the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho. He describes living conditions and daily activities, and talks about his education and recreational activities while incarcerated. He also talks about the service of Japanese American men in the U.S. Army during World War II. He discusses a loyalty questionnaire that Japanese Americans were required to fill out, and talks about the reasons why some men, referred to as the "No-No Boys," refused to answer two questions, one about willingness to serve in combat and one about willingness to declare loyalty to the U.S. and renounce allegiance to the Emperor of Japan.
Tape 6 through Tape 7. In the third interview session, conducted on January 18, 1995, Fujita discusses his experiences living in Ontario, Oregon, after his release from Minidoka in 1945, and his return to Portland the next year. He talks about his high school experience, about having rheumatic fever and later tuberculosis, and about working at the Riverside Hotel, which was operated by his family. He discusses how his incarceration experiences affected his mental health, compares Japanese and American cultures, and talks about the anger Japanese Americans felt during incarceration. He also speaks further about his experiences at the Minidoka Relocation Center. He discusses the Riverside Hotel's policy of renting rooms to Black people at a time when most hotels were segregated.
The audio for this session is incomplete; a portion was deleted during duplication of the recording.
Tape 8 through Tape 9. In the fourth interview session, conducted on January 25, 1995, Fujita discusses his experiences studying chemistry at Reed College and at the University of Washington in Seattle. He talks about his political views, and about his personal morals. He speaks at length about his experiences as a person disabled by rheumatic fever and tuberculosis. He also talks about gambling in midcentury Portland.
Tape 9 has speed issues that affect audio quality.
Tape 10. In the fifth interview session, conducted on February 8, 1995, Fujita discusses his college grades, particularly in his chemistry classes. He talks about working as a research chemist in Portland after graduating, and about researching poisonous gases. He shares his thoughts about the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, and also about the beatnik and hippie subcultures. He talks about conducting research and teaching organic chemistry at the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland.
Tape 10 has speed issues that affect audio quality.
Tape 11 through Tape 14. In the sixth interview session, conducted on February 15, 1995, Fujita continues to discuss conducting research and teaching organic chemistry at the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland. He talks about other faculty members, and about his social life. He describes chemical compounds he developed during his research, discusses chemicals he worked with, and talks about the research of some of his colleagues. He also speaks about the service of 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated Japanese American unit that fought during World War II. He discusses his interest in gambling, talks about Japan's economic recovery after World War II, and speaks further about his relationship with his parents. He talks about his marriage to Kay Christine Kuntz, and discusses her history as a Catholic nun. He speaks further about his personal morals and political views.
In the seventh and final interview session, conducted on March 1, 1995, Fujita discusses how the second generation of Japanese Americans differs culturally from the first generation, particularly regarding their views on marriage. He speaks further about his marriage to Kay Christine Kuntz; talks about her Catholic faith and about his Buddhism; and discusses raising their family. He also talks about Kay's career as a piano teacher and calligrapher, about his love of fishing, and about his father's love of mushroom hunting. He shares his experience being unemployed, then talks about working for other companies, including a dental products company where he developed fluoride treatments for children. He closes the interview by revisiting the topic of his political views.