<Begin Segment 8>

[Translated from Japanese]

TY: How soon did you learn that you were going to America? Did you already know that you were going to America?

YI: Yes, I knew about it. Before that time, Mr. Ichikawa visited once. The head minister of the Hongwanji, that person... at that time I think he was attending college.. and would like to take you there... was working as a school boy. Mr. Ohtani, it is said. He was working as a school boy.

TY: What is a school boy?

YI: School boy? Someone who works and goes to school. We say "school boy" over here, too, don't we? Someone who goes to school while working for a family. For that family, he took their daughter to kindergarten, did odd jobs and went to college.

TY: Is it the same as shosei in Japanese? Is it different from shosei?

YI: What?

TY: Shosei.

YI: Yes, you could say shosei. I don't know if he taught the children. I believe they had somebody else as a shosei. Someone who helps with the school work. Reverend Ichikawa did some errands, took the children to school and took care of small jobs.

TY: In exchange for room and board.

YI: He was given a place to sleep and fed. Before Mr. Ichikawa, there was a teacher, Mr. Shimizu, who was working there, but quit the job and came to America as a minister. So there was a vacancy. He urged that we go.

TY: Do you mean, to go after the graduation?

YI: "Since I am quitting to go to America, why don't you take my job?" he said. So he went there and after graduating from the University, he also came to America.

TY: Then, did you already know about it when you met him? That you were coming to America if you married Mr. Ichikawa?

YI: Yes, I knew about it. Therefore, he said, "Since you are going to America after we marry, you have to learn some English." He sent me some books. I tried many things, but it was hard for me to learn. [Laughs]

TY: What did you think of going to America?

YI: I never imagined that I would ever come to America. But, well, since my husband was coming to America anyway, I came.

TY: How about your parents and grandmother?

YI: I suppose they all agreed.

TY: Didn't your grandmother miss you?

YI: I heard this later, but my grandmother said, "How did we allow her to go to America?" But she never said that to me. She said that to somebody else. I was told later. My grandmother missed me. She took care of me since I was little.

TY: She must have. Since you knew you were going to America, what about your trousseau and other things?

YI: I did not buy much. And I wore a kimono to come here. So when we stayed at a hotel, it was the Aki Hotel operated by a Japanese. One day the Mrs. of the hotel there offered to take me shopping to [inaudible]. She took care of me.

TY: By the way, you had to apply for a visa. To come to America, you must have applied for a visa. Immigration was banned in 1924, and the Japanese were not allowed in those days, were they?

YI: You are right. When I came, the Japanese were not allowed to immigrate, but we could come because my husband was a minister.

TY: Yes, you had a special visa. How long did it take? The application for a passport and a visa?

YI: Let me see. How long did it take? I don't remember. I think we embarked in Yokohama. I wrote something there. I signed a paper.

TY: Was there a physical inspection, too?

YI: Physical inspection? Today, I had a urine test. Also a stool sampling. Then the eye exam. I had those.

TY: So you passed. Your husband, also.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.