Archives West Finding Aid

David Hisato Yamate was born in San Francisco, California, on 24 November,1925, to Sasato and Kikuye Yamate. Yamate's family also included two sisters, Lorraine and Aileen, and two brothers, Herbert and Don Allen. Tamaki Tsubokura Yamate was born on 9 November 1926. Tamaki's parents had two other daughters, Misao and Kaoru. Misao and her husband, Bob, had a daughter, Joyce Ann. The Tsubokura family resided in San Mateo.

The Yamate and the Tsubokura families resided in the San Francisco area for much of David and Tamaki's youth. But this changed with the bombing of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese had a great affect on the lives of the many Japanese American families living on the West Coast. The Yamate and Tsubokura Families were no exception. The United States government and people were concerned about a possible invasion of Japan on the United State mainland. They were afraid that the Japanese living in America at this time would join with their homeland against the United States. This lead to the mass evacuation of the Japanese from the West Coast. Before the evacuation began, many of the Japanese voluntarily moved from the West Coast to the interior. Those Japanese Americans that did not have the money or the inclination to make the move were later removed by the government under the direction of the WRA. The Yamate and Tsubokura Families were a part of this later group.

It is possible that the Yamates and the Tsubokuras were held at Tanforan Race Tracks before going to the Central Utah Center in Topaz, Utah. Japanese living in the San Francisco Bay area were sent there and the residents of Tanforan were sent to Topaz. The first train load of Japanese arrived in Topaz on 11 September 1942. Both families arrived at Topaz in 1942 and 1944.

David and Tamaki met in Topaz and soon began dating. David would often leave the camp to go and work. At these times, David and Tamaki would exchange letters. David traveled and worked in many places before the closing of the camp in Topaz. He worked throughout Utah. He spent time in Roy, Milford, Salt Lake City, and Provo, Utah. He worked in a cannery, a laundry, a grocery store, a hotel, and on a farm. He also traveled to Boston, Massachusetts to find work. David also had the opportunity to attend Brigham Young University, where he was on the tennis team. His sister, Lorraine, also attended Brigham Young University.

While David was venturing out of the camp, Tamaki remained in the camp. She worked in the hospital and later in the welfare office. She spent most of her days in Topaz, except for the occasional trips to Delta and an excursion to Oak City Canyon. Before the close of Topaz, Tamaki and her mother went on a shopping trip to Salt Lake City, where she met David.

On 18 December 1944, President Roosevelt announced the closing of the interment camps during the next year. On 2 January 1945, the Western Defense Command lifted the mass exclusion order. This announcement brought about changes in the interment camps. People began to prepare to leave and return to their homes on the West Coast. The Tsubokura family left the Central Utah Relocation Center on 2 July 1945. They returned to San Mateo, California. Tamaki soon after started to work for the United States Navy as a secretary.

The Yamate family left soon after. David remained in Salt Lake City, Utah. He remained so that he could earn money for his family and save enough so that he could go back to California. He returned to San Francisco, California on 28 October 1945. He and Tamaki continued their relationship through letters, phone calls, and meetings. He soon left home to work on the farms in San Clara, California. Throughout World War II, David had avoided joining the army, but in 1946 he joined the army. During his army career, he was station at Camp Beale, Marysville, California; Camp Polk, Leesville, Louisiana; Camp Stoneman, California; and in Yokohama, Japan. Before David went off to basic training, he and Tamaki became engaged. They were married before David was shipped off to Japan on December 3 1946. David returned home from Japan on 3 January 1947. David and Tamaki had a daughter, Diane.