Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Marian Asao Kurosu Interview
Narrator: Marian Asao Kurosu
Interviewers: Alice Ito (primary), Tomoyo Yamada (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: June 23 & 24, 2000
Densho ID: denshovh-kmarian-01-0068

<Begin Segment 68>

TY: [Jpn.] By the way, in June 1944, your fifth child, Robert, Bobby was born in the camp. Right?

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

TY: [Jpn.] The first four children were born in Sunnydale or South Park with the help of a midwife.

MK: [Eng.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] She took care of it.

MK: [Jpn.] That's right.

TY: [Jpn.] But this time it was at a camp hospital.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. A hospital in Seattle.

TY: [Jpn.] It was in the camp, wasn't it?

MK: [Jpn.] No, it was a camp hospital.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Everywhere, at both places there was a hospital.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] Were there some difference? The first four children were born by the hand of midwives.

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

TY: [Jpn.] But this time you were surrounded by many other women.

MK: [Jpn.] Oh, that's right. It was at a hospital.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes, it was.

MK: [Jpn.] Well, I was very relaxed.

TY: [Jpn.] Also your neighbors...

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] ...gave some advice.

MK: [Jpn.] Well, we had no choice but to come to the hospital.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Because there was no midwife.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Uh-huh. Because it was run by the Caucasians. Because the Caucasians were running it, they wouldn't allow midwives. No midwives.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah.

MK: [Jpn.] They hospitalized people.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] And Bobby was born. Did you have any complications with his birth?

MK: [Jpn.] No. Nothing.

<End Segment 68> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.