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AI: I recall also that, your speaking and writing about your father being active in the community himself, that he did a fair amount of volunteer work with the Japanese Service Organization.

BH: Yes. He was quite civic-minded, and I suppose because he wore a white collar and a necktie to work, he was looked upon as a little bit more of a leader than the fellow who went out and washed windows for a living. And he became quite active in the Buddhist church and the Hiroshima Kenjinkai and the Japanese Association. I don't recall that he had any elected office in the, any of those organizations, but he was a leader.

AI: Did he or your mother ever talk to you much about obligation or value for, to do such community service or convey to you some responsibility of yours? That they might have influenced you to take on these kinds of activities in, as you were growing up?

BH: Gee, I don't recall anything like that. I, I do sort of remember that -- my father's activity in community affairs was a sore point with my mother. He spent too much time doing these things, from her point of view.

AI: And I understand also that he was as well, active with the church, the Buddhist church, and, and he sent you to Japanese language school. Did he or your mother have any clear wishes that you become a practicing Buddhist or that you become fluent in Japanese language, that type of desire?

BH: Well, let's take that one, one at a time. My father was active in the Buddhist temple. My mother was not, although she was Buddhist. And they did not encourage me to go to the Buddhist temple, but they did encourage me to go to the Christian church. And some of their friends were members of the Saint Peter's Episcopal Church. And I would go to Sunday school there. And later on, I became friendly with some people at the Japanese Methodist Church, and I would go there. But I was never active -- I was never an active Christian, nor was I an active Buddhist. There was no effort on my parents' part to make me active in the religious movements.

AI: Do you have an idea as to why they encouraged your participation in the Christian church?

BH: I have a vague recollection that they felt that to be more American, it was desirable to be Christian. And so they encouraged me to go to the Christian churches. Now, I would go to the Buddhist church on occasion when there were oratorical contests. I didn't take part, but I would go and listen to what was being said, and some of my friends were Buddhists. But I was not active in the temple.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2001 Densho. All Rights Reserved.