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Betty Ochi

Born Betty Nakao, she was 11 when and family was interned at the Marysville Assembly Center. A few months later they were moved to Tule Lake, where she completed the 6th grade. Her 7th and 8th grade years were spent at Topaz camp. The Nakao family was able to leave Topaz a few months before the camp closed. They moved to Cleveland, where Betty would spend the rest of her life. After meeting John the two married, had children, and did not discuss the internment camps until recently, when local schools have asked them to speak to middle and high school students about their experiences.

John Ochi

John's father was arrested on December 7, 1941. John was 13 when the rest of his family was interned in 1942 at Poston, Arizona. In 1944, just 6 months after his father was reunited with the Ochi family, John was able to leave the camp and moved to Chicago to work as a houseboy. After high school John joined the army and spent time stationed in Germany. Eventually he came to Cleveland where he attended Western Reserve University, now known as Case Western. As a member of the Cleveland Japanese American Citizen League, he met Betty at a bowling outing.

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