<Begin Segment 3>
SS: What were your parents like?
EW: They were hard-working. In Japan, my father was a principal in a school and my mother was a teacher. And then they had to come over here, and then to have a laundry, that must have been quite a comedown for them. But they never told us, expressed it in any way. And they just worked hard. I know that when we went to Tule Lake internment camp, at that time they weren't very old, but in our mind we thought they were. But, you know, it kind of breaks my heart now to think that when they were only like in their late fifties or early sixties, that we thought they were old, old fogies almost, you know. But now that we're at that age, we don't consider ourselves old. And I thought, well, gee, we really didn't treat them right. We should have seen that they could have done more and had more fun.
SS: What brought them to this country?
EW: Opportunity. Just a new way of life.
SS: Did they ever have any regrets, do you think? It must have been a very hard life for them, the responsibility of raising a family.
EW: Really, and not knowing much English. I'm certain that they knew a bit more English than many of the immigrants now, because they were in school over there. But I can't imagine how hard it must have been for them to come over here -- away from their parents and family -- and establish a new life. I don't know that I could do it.
<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 1996 Densho. All Rights Reserved.