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AI: Well, before we get into that, let me just catch up on a few things. So just reviewing, it was about 1956 that you left the flower market business...

PB: Right.

AI: ...and went into real estate.

PB: Right.

AI: And then about 1958 you opened your own real estate business.

PB: Right.

AI: And I understand also you had an insurance business along with that.

PB: Right.

AI: Now, at the same time, the early 1950, the 1950s and early 1960s, you had your children...

PB: Right.

AI: ...your three children -- your oldest daughter, Kathryn, son Don, and younger daughter, Lorraine, Lori, and growing up there in Gardena. And I wonder if you could tell, you have already described that there was quite an ethnic mix there in Gardena with a large percentage of Japanese Americans...

PB: Right.

AI: ...who were able to come, move into that neighborhood partly because of the initiation you took, the initiative you took on opening up the real estate to the Japanese Americans. Would you discuss a little bit about the, more about the building of the Gardena community, especially the Japanese American community. As your kids were growing up, I understand you were very involved with community activities, supporting the community churches...

PB: Right.

AI: ...and some of the clubs. Could you tell a few of the highlights of that time?

PB: Well, they're not real highlights, but in my estimation there were routine things that I would take in any community that I would live in. But because of my children, as you say -- and I wanted to be sure that they got a good education and things of this nature -- that I remember the first thing I did, I had a Reverend Peter Chen come down, Methodist minister, and we were talking about establishing a Methodist church in Gardena. So he and I looked for a site. I found one very near where I lived on 146th Street. It was on Rosecrans Avenue near Normandy, only about four blocks from where I lived. We bought the land and we started a Methodist church. It still exists. They moved down to 182nd Street, but it is one of the larger, more active churches. They bought another piece of land next door, and I'm very happy that that church is expanded to that. I am not active in the church anymore, however, the people that go there that I know have said that it's a wonderful thing to have such a church. So that is something that the community needed and is going along. Our community has, in addition to that, a large Buddhist church, and we have other churches.

But the Japanese community has gradually been moving out, the younger people. The only ones that remain are the old-timers that have been there a long time. So I eventually see that Gardena will not have a, very much of a Japanese community. But during the time that I have served there, I have been active in community center. We have a very active Veterans of Foreign War post, and the chamber of commerce is still made up of Japanese Americans that are active in the area, and I still go to the meetings and whatever events they have. So I felt that all these things are things that build for the community. I also was one of the, many, many years ago, not an original member, one of the active members of the Lion's Club. And they're still very, very active. They're one of the more active service clubs in our area. So all of these things are important for participation to keep the community alive. I think that anyone that goes to any area, they should join and get involved with other people in that community. It will help. And that's my reason why I did it, and I'm still running around involved, and I feel that I'm trying to do what is necessary.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.