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AI: So, so it was 1918 when she arrived here in the United States?

RI: Uh-huh. She arrived in January 1918, soon after her birthday, so, probably few days after her birthday.

AI: And I think you had in your notes also that your father was older. He had been born in 1887?

RI: 1887, so he was thirteen years older. So he was, well, nowadays that kind of difference isn't so great. But then in those days, it seemed as though he was a old man compared to her, and she was pretty young and naive and had to learn a lot of things.

AI: And he had been in, in the U.S. since 1905, also.

RI: Uh-huh, so he knew how to get around.

AI: Well, now, so soon after your mother arrived, then they started their family and you have an older sibling.

RI: I have a older sister, Bessie. And you know, in those days I think there were a lot of immigrants from Japan. And there were lot of bachelors, too. And they were staying in people's homes. And I think in our homes we always used to have couple of men rooming. And next door, too, there were couple of men rooming. And my mother and father says that when Bessie was born, maybe she was one of the early babies and she was really loved by everybody. And she was always being carried, and there were a lot of other people who like babies, so she really got a lot of coddling and attention. And you know, whenever we went anywhere we all went with our parents. We were never left at home, no babysitting. But we went to funerals, and it seems as though whenever there was a funeral we were all there. And they'd take a big picture, and the kids are sitting in front of the relatives, in front of the coffin. And then later we'd go to a Chinese restaurant and we'd all be feasting with soda pop and all that. But there were a lotta kids. So our families always stayed together, anyway.

AI: Well, so Bessie was your oldest sister, the oldest child in your family, and then you came, and then after you, who were your --

RI: Frances. She's two years younger, and then Lillian, she's five years younger than I am, and then Lloyd -- I mean, Howard and Lloyd. So there were six of us. But...

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