It was the spring of 1942 and Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese government just a few months earlier. As a result, Americans of Japanese descent were uprooted and forced by the American government to live in internment camps. Ben Kodama was 7 years old when his family was notified they would be required to board a train for relocation.

The Kodamas had no choice but to leave their home and business. Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Feb. 19, 1942, mandated anyone with at least one-eighth Japanese blood be evacuated from the Pacific coast and placed in a government institution.

The greenhouses owned by his father were leased to another family and together, they stepped on the train for a destination unknown. They were transported from one camp to another, imprisoned in jam-packed, sub-par facilities. Their life became a chaotic blur with little structure and no privacy. The housing barracks allotted one room for seven people and meals were served in a community mess hall. Some of the camps allowed prisoners to leave for specified amounts of time, but others did not.

In 1945, the Kodamas were finally released but returned home to a culture of staggering racism and bigotry. Every day activities such as grocery shopping became a source of anxiety and disappointment.

“We weren’t welcome at the grocery stores in Burien,” said Kodama. “There were signs that read ‘No Japs’ in all the windows. My family went all the way to Chinatown in Seattle for groceries.”

He describes the first time he spoke publicly about internment as surprising. He was confronted by a Highline School District board member during a cultural seminar in 1990. The audience was unreceptive to the original presentation and Kodama was asked to lend it some credibility by sharing part of his history. He was shocked into silence by the realization that he had never talked about it much before.

“I surprised myself. I realized I had no choice,” Kodama said. “The seminar wasn’t going well and these people didn’t believe racism was a real issue.”

Now, at the age of 78, Kodama lives in the Sumner area and has developed his story into a presentation of his own titled “Heirs of the American Experiment”. He draws on his own experience, as well as other sources, to provide an accurate and emotional account of life during and after World War II for Japanese-Americans. He shares openly and eagerly; hoping it will keep the memory of bigotry alive and prevent it from festering again.

“This was real and it needs to be talked about,” Kodama said. “I’m not angry, but I feel let down by the government. Our rights were violated and the American people can’t forget that.”

Most recently, Kodama spoke at the Sumner Pierce County Library. The library hopes to have digital copies of his presentation available for check-out in the near future. As far as Kodama is concerned, he is eager to continue sharing his story.