When James Oda was seven years old, his mother sent him and his younger brother to Japan for their schooling. This decision to have them educated overseas did not agree with Oda's father, as he wanted his sons to attend school in the United States.
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My father wanted to educate me in American way and take over his farm as I grew up. But my mother thought otherwise. I should learn Japanese in Japan so parents and son can talk to each other in their own terms. So I went back there [to Japan], I was seven, and of course I encountered a lot of trouble...And the kids are...I was a very strange person to them so the kids ganged up on me. I had to fight almost every day....
<br><br>They asked me who is the greater person, President of the United States or Emperor of Japan. And my father never taught me about Emperor so I said I suppose maybe the President of the United States....And that sort of thing started [a] big fight.
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<br><br>Before Oda's father passed away, he told his son to come back to the United States. Oda kept his promise to return and landed back home in 1932, at which point he had to "learn" English all over again. He would attend school during the day and work as a houseboy in the evenings and on weekends. Before the war began, he was heavily involved in the local labor union movement, eventually making his way to becoming a vice president in charge of organizing Japanese employees for a local labor union.
<br><br>In March 1942, Oda was sent to the Manzanar Detention Camp. It was from camp that he decided to volunteer for the military via the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). He attended MIS Language School in Camp Savage and remained there after graduation to serve as one of the instructors. Much of his time as a Japanese language teacher was spent on conducting extracurricular activities as well as writing articles for local Japanese publications.
<br><br>After the war, Oda served three years with the Occupation forces in Japan. When he returned to the United States, he began working on a commercial egg farm. After Oda had spent seven years establishing his business, his wife finally had chance to begin practicing medicine.
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When evacuation came, all the students of Japanese descent were notified to get out of the school [University of California, Berkeley]....They had to leave. Go back home and evacuate with their respective families. Now, my wife...was very confused with whether we should support America, or what to do, you know. When she met me and I was educated in Japan but still so outright supporting America, somehow that changed her viewpoint. She was so disgusted with the whole thing, but along with me she became very pro-American.
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<br><br>Despite his years in Japan, Oda never felt anything but complete loyalty toward his native country, the United States. In fact, he recalls the anguish he felt as a Kibei in Japan.
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I was mentally very unhappy in Japan. You have to bow your head all the time. don't speak up, do this, don't do this, don't do that, very regimented. And I really felt that I had better commit suicide to get away from all this. That's why when I came back to America, for the first time, I regained [the] will to live. I was only 18, it was very hard to get the job, make a living. But yet, here it's worthwhile to endure and suffer.
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