Ken Ouchida was born September 24, 1930, in Sacramento. He is the oldest of seven children born to Harold and Edith Ouchida. During the war years, his family was relocated to Gila, Arizona, on the Gila River Indian Reservation – a “reservation within a reservation.” Ken attended high school in the camp, but returned to Elk Grove High School when his family was released from camp. He graduated from Elk Grove High School, despite dealing with issues of racism, and went on to college and a career in pharmacy.
Video Timeline
Note: To listen to a specific clip, move the slider on the video to the designated clip time listed below.
00:00 – Introduction
00:22 – Clip 1
Ken remembers the food he was served at camp.
01:30 – Clip 2
Talks about camp and returning from camp to Elk Grove High School. How hard it was being Japanese at Elk Grove High School.
04:04 – Clip 3
Grandfather died in camp due to doctors moving to the East Coast for work.
05:12 – Clip 4
Talks about camp life for Issei (born in Japan) and shares memories of his grandfather, who had great faith in President Roosevelt.
06:54 – Clip 5
Uncle with the 442nd – mother used to let him read the letters send from his uncle in the army. Uncle was fighting to make it easier for them at home. side of the family–remembers the games they played in camp.
08:04 – Clip 6
More stories he remembers from his uncles’ letters. Stories about fellow servicemen who had relatives from Hawaii who would send “goodies” in their packages from home because they were not put in camps.
Photo Gallery
Primary source images to accompany Ken Ouchida’s story. Images provided by Lester Ouchida – Elk Grove Unified School District.
In Memoriam
We are saddened to share that Ken passed away on May 11, 2015 – View his obituary on legacy.com
It was an honor to interview Ken for our Time of Remembrance project. We encourage you to listen to and be inspired by his story of courage and resilience.