Date: July 8, 2009
Location: Torrance, California
Videographer: Dana Hoshide
Densho ID: ddr-densho-1000-254
01:42:31
20 segments
Sansei female, born 1928 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Grew up in Hawaii, where family ran a successful wholesale bakery business. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, father was picked up by the FBI and sent to Sand Island internment camp. Moved with rest of the family to Jerome concentration camp, Arkansas, to be reunited with father. Moved for a short time to the Heart Mountain concentration camp, Wyoming, when Jerome closed, before returning to Hawaii. Married and moved to Chicago, Illinois, before eventually moving to Los Angeles. Along with husband Bert Nakano, became active in the redress movement, helping to establish the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations. Lillian Nakano passed away in February 2015.
This interview is part of the Densho Visual History Collection. Visit Densho for more information.