[Annotator's Note: Video is black until 00:01:06.000 and begins with Helene Minehira midsentence.] Minehira was born in Waipahu, Hawaii [Annotator's Note: in April 1925] and raised by her parents with a strong influence by her grandmother. Her father worked for the railroad company and met Minehira's mother on a train. She was working as a maid at Schofield Barracks [Annotator's Note: in Oahu, Hawaii]. Due to Japanese tradition, after they married, Minehira's parents were responsible for her father's side of the family. Her mother did all the housework for her family and her in-laws. Minehira always felt American growing up because her parents spoke English. Her grandmother made sure that she was brought up in Japanese customs and only spoke Japanese to her. She attended public school and Japanese language school. As Japan hostilities began to rise, it became taboo to go to Japanese language class because it was said that they were teaching children to honor the emperor. Minehira said that she was not taught to do that at her school but was taught good morals. She continued school through high school. Her parents eventually purchased a piece of land on Ewa Beach [Annotator's Note: Ewa Beach, Hawaii] in the hopes to start a trucking business. Their new property had kiawe [Annotator's Note: species of mesquite tree] trees and bushes and they sold the fruit to make some money. It was a family effort to clear the land and prepare it to build the business and their house on it. She hated the new property because of the distance from school and she was constantly working to clear the land.

Helene Minehira and her family were on their property [Annotator's Note: in Ewa Beach, Hawaii] on the morning of 7 December 1941 [Annotator's Note: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Per Japanese custom, they were sitting on the floor eating breakfast before they began their day of chores. The family began to hear a buzz sound that kept getting louder. They all went outside to see where the noise was coming from. Minehira saw Japanese planes flying very low passing her area of the beach. As soon as they pass, the pilots began dropping torpedoes. There were explosions and black smoke filling the sky. Minehira initially thought it was the American military performing stupid maneuvers, so she was not afraid. Planes kept coming through passing her beach property. It was not long before she realized that this event was an actual attack on the military bases. Looking back on the day, Minehira thought it was amazing that not a single shot was fired near her because she was so close to Pearl Harbor. She saw American and Japanese planes dogfighting in the sky. Because they did not have fresh water where they were located, Minehira and her father had to go get some from a nearby plantation. As the evening came upon them, the family decided to gather in the main room and sleep together because they were fearful for their lives. They returned to school the next day but were required to wear gas masks. About two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Minehira's family home was searched by military personnel because of their Japanese ancestry. Her mother was able to convince the soldiers to not make a mess of things with her stern personality. Her family were given orders to leave their home immediately.

Helene Minehira [Annotator's Note: a person of Japanese descent living in Hawaii] and her family were forces off their beachfront property [Annotator's Note: Ewa Beach, Hawaii] after the attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941] by military orders. Minehira was able to secure a ride for her family on a Navy truck to Waipahu [Annotator's Note: Waipahu, Hawaii] to stay with friends. Her father was stuck at work with the railroad company during this time. Minehira's family moved from one place to another for some time and she felt like she was a gypsy. The government gave them no housing or transportation. They were finally able to secure a housing at a Japanese school building with other Japanese displaced persons. A doctor arrived one day to give all the females a physical. She resumed high school and tried to continue with her daily life. She was in constant fear about being attacked. Minehira watched all her boy friends were being drafted into service. After she graduated from high school, all her friends had plans to go to college, but she did not think she would be alive and was not worth going, so she found a job instead. After World War 2 broke out, all Japanese in Hawaii were required to wear a black badge and all her friends and others called her "Jap," [Annotator's Note: a period derogatory term for Japanese] which she hated. She worked with the military, and a co-worker called her a Jap one day. She responded by calling him "white trash." She thought she was going to be fired, but her boss dismissed the incident. Near the end of the war, they closed the school for housing, so her father found them a new place to live in Honolulu [Annotator's Note: Honolulu, Hawaii]. After the war, her family and other Japanese Americans began to request repatriation of their property. When they went back, many of their items were taken and the government did not know what happen to them. After working years after the war, gathering documents to send into the government to receive repatriation, the Japanese Americans were denied any repayment. Minehira was never sent to a relocation camp, only to displaced housing. [Annotator's Note: Minehira asks to pause interview 0:55:41.000.]

Helene Minehira [Annotator's Note: a person of Japanese descent in Hawaii] worked at Fort Shafter [Annotator's Note: in Honolulu, Hawaii] during World War 2 doing clerical work. As soon as the war came to an end, she quit her job. She was happy that the war ended. There should be institutions like the National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana], and they should continue to teach World War 2 to future generations because people need to be aware of went on. Minehira appreciates the military. She had family and friends that served in the military during World War 2. She often listened to the radio to hear the progress of the war. She still hears new stories of what went on during Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 7 December 1941]. Minehira heard rumors during the war about Japanese Americans on mainland United States being placed in concentration camps. After the war, she worked furiously to make sure Japanese Americans were repatriated for their forced displacement. Her father was a World War 1 veteran. The government took his property during World War 2. After the war, Minehira married and had three children.