Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Sumi Okamoto Interview
Narrator: Sumi Okamoto
Interviewer: Megan Asaka
Location: Spokane, Washington
Date: April 26, 2006
Densho ID: denshovh-osumi-01-0019

<Begin Segment 19>

MA: What are some lessons that you remember learning from your parents, and from, I guess, the Issei generation that you've really, sort of, held with you?

SO: Oh, uh-huh. Well, let me see. I remember that they, one of the Issei ladies told us to keep our mind open and read, read. She says, "That'll, that'll really keep you occupied, and you'll grow into old age." And they, the Issei ladies taught us how to make Japanese food, and they were very particular. And so we still had our menus from the Japanese people, and so some of it has changed, because we didn't figure that, we didn't have to do those things, and we made it more modern. But I know that the Japanese women are very particular, but that was, you know, we appreciated that a lot. Even some of the Nisei ladies are very good cooks. I know I'm not a cook at all, but some of them are very good cooks, and they, I don't know if they, they have taught their children to be cooks, 'cause there aren't that many young people that come to help. But I know the Isseis really taught us a lot. In fact, I think some of them still have their, the menus from the Issei ladies.

MA: What sorts of things were on the menu?

SO: Well, they, one of the ladies taught us how to make kimchee. That's not a Japanese food, but she made, and then she, they taught us how to make makizushi and inarizushi and, and then had recipes for sukiyaki. And oh, gosh, (...) we still make mochi for New Year's, you know, but they're the ones who started it for us. And daifuku mochi, they used to make daifuku mochi, but now we, the Niseis are too lazy, or it's just too hard to make daifuku mochi, it's so good, but we don't. We make mochi for New Year's, and we make senbei for our sukiyaki dinners because the Caucasian people love that. And the Niseis and the Sanseis love that, too, because it's so much trouble to make it at home. So we always make a lot of senbei bags and we seem to sell it all out before, maybe in an hour or two it's all sold out. But yeah, the Issei people were very faithful people. I think they were a lot more faithful than the second-generation people. And they, they were, they loved to come to church -- well, I guess that's about the only place that they could, you know, congregate, and see their friends, Japanese friends. So they really, if they were able to, they came every Sunday.

MA: What is one thing that you would like people to learn from your story or to take away from your story after they hear it?

SO: Well, I think, I hope that the Sanseis and Yonseis are proud that they are Japanese, at least they have some Japanese blood in them. I think that we learned so much from the Isseis, and I don't know if the Sanseis learned as much from them, from the Niseis as the Niseis learned from the Isseis, but I hope they learned a little bit from the Nisei people. I know the Isseis worked very, very hard, and so they deserve all the credit, I think. I know some of the Niseis worked hard, too, and so I hope some of the Sanseis learn about the Niseis and the Isseis and acquire some of their good habits and things.

MA: Is there anything else you want to say?

SO: No, I think I've said too much already. [Laughs]

MA: Well, this has been so great. Thank you so much for doing this.

SO: Oh, that's okay. I hope you don't put all that down. [Laughs]

MA: It's been great. Thank you.

<End Segment 19> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.