<Begin Segment 54>

TY: [Jpn.] Well, let me see. At that time in 1942, Lilly was eleven and Roy was ten. Betty was seven and Donald was three. How did you take care of your children? You had children of different ages...

MK: [Jpn.] Taking care of my children?

TY: [Jpn.] Yes, child care. Since you didn't have a job, you could take care of your children at all times.

MK: [Jpn.] Well, the child care is just taking care of their clothes. The government fed them and so I didn't have to worry about it.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Only what they wear.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Clothes and one more problem at Tule Lake. We had five boys. No, four boys. No. Three.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Three boys.

TY: [Jpn.] Two of those...

MK: [Jpn.] Oh, Donald. Roy and Donald and Bobby and Paul. There were four. There were four. There were four at that time.

TY: [Jpn.] Well, at Tule Lake you had Roy and Donald. Only two.

MK: [Jpn.] No, Roy. No, Roy was at Tule Lake. Roy was there only for two. Roy joined the army. He joined the army and he wasn't there.

TY: [Jpn.] Roy...

MK: [Jpn.] As I remember, those Japanese who didn't join the Army didn't pass.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. Then Roy... Roy was there.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. Roy also...

TY: [Jpn.] He was ten years old.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. We had up to Donald. Didn't I tell you that Donald was mischievous and gave me a lot of trouble?

TY: [Jpn.] Yes, you did.

MK: [Jpn.] I told you it was difficult for me to go to neighbors all the time to apologize.

TY: [Jpn.] Will you tell us more about that?

MK: [Jpn.] Well, because Donald was, what can I say, didn't like to lose. So if somebody said something he didn't like, he would punch him. That was a real problem for me.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh. Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] So you had to go see the boy's parent and apologize...

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah, that's right.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] That's right. All the time. Besides, you are supposed to take some gifts with you.

TY: [Jpn.] Then...

MK: [Jpn.] But what Donald says sometimes makes sense.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] But when the other parents demand (an apology), you cannot remain silent. Fighting is not allowed.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. So sometimes I know it was the other party who was at fault, but when the other party's parents blame Donald, I have to accept that. Because fighting is not acceptable. You know. It is easier not to argue and just apologize.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] That's how I respond.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Uh-huh. Yeah. Every time...

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Parents cannot quarrel. Parents should not quarrel about kids' fighting.

TY: [Jpn.] Particularly when you are all living in the same area.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. That's right. Uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] That will be a problem.

MK: [Jpn.] That's why it is better and quicker to give in.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah. By the way, Hideo was living in "Alaska" where the singles live...

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. That's right.

<End Segment 54> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.