<Begin Segment 74>

TY: [Jpn.] Then even if you were told not to come back to Sunnydale...

MK: [Eng.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] You returned.

MK: [Jpn.] We returned.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Where could we go? There was nowhere else to go.

TY: [Jpn.] I see. Then you started rebuilding the greenhouse?

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] Then, did you experience any harassment after you returned?

MK: [Jpn.] No, not much. But we didn't go out as much as we used to in the old days. We tried to be inconspicuous.

TY: [Jpn.] So you were very careful, weren't you?

MK: [Jpn.] When the Caucasians weren't very happy, why do you want to go out and show yourselves?

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah.

MK: [Jpn.] See? We were very careful not to be noticed. Uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] Then how about your children at school?

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. I suppose they do equally, but I don't really know. But they hear from their parents. Japanese students... no, the children at school weren't very happy about us. Uh-huh. That's why my boy did that type of thing. That little boy waited outside for those students to come out.

TY: [Jpn.] Donald?

MK: [Jpn.] He waited to fight them.

TY: [Jpn.] What, what happened?

MK: [Jpn.] My Donald.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Donald... Japan....went there and was bullied.

TY: [Jpn.] Because he was a Japanese.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. They all heard from their parents.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] So the Japanese came back. It was the same as the enemies coming back. See? I think that's why he was bullied. I never heard exactly how he was bullied, but a teacher told us.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah.

MK: [Jpn.] I was told that Mr. Isoka's teacher said so. It was scary. That little boy was waiting outside ready to beat them up. There was no way that little boy could beat them up, but what shall I say, well, what can I say, I don't know what he was feeling, but probably he didn't want to be a loser.

TY: [Jpn.] Was he fighting against upperclassmen?

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. I heard that so nobody dared to come out.

TY: [Jpn.] When the little one was waiting outside alone...

MK: [Jpn.] The teacher said so, and so it must be true.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] It's embarrassing.

TY: [Jpn.] Then he was fighting before coming home, wasn't he?

MK: [Jpn.] That's a child's thing. Because he is not an adult, the teacher was not too concerned. It's only children's things. What a first grader can do? [Laughs]

TY: [Jpn.] But didn't your older children do such things?

MK: [Jpn.] No, they didn't. The older ones were more thoughtful and careful. I never heard they were ever bullied.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Only the little one did. Uh-huh. Yeah. We cannot control him.

<End Segment 74> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.