<Begin Segment 6>

AI: Well, speaking about Japanese and the language, tell me about when you were really young, when you were growing up in the family, did you speak much Japanese at home, or did you speak mostly English?

BS: Well, when we spoke to my father we spoke in English. But when we spoke to my mother we spoke in broken Japanese-English, and my grandfather, we spoke to him in Japanese, because my grandmother returned to Japan in the late 1930s. And she went back the same time, I think Mrs. Hachiya did, and with the younger son. And then they were caught in Japan because of the war.

AI: And couldn't get back.

BS: Uh-huh. And then after the war my grandfather did not want to go back to Japan and she didn't want to come to the United States so they were separated.

AI: Well, as a really young child, do you remember a time when you, do you remember learning English, or did you just, since you were one of the youngest kids -- you were the youngest child then, did you just speak both Japanese and English as a little kid?

BS: Uh-huh. Uh-huh, because with my siblings, we spoke English, but it was just like, to my mother and grandfather we spoke in Japanese.

AI: So, tell me about starting school. What are some of your early memories?

BS: Well I... gosh. It's just that, because of our family, I was the youngest, it was just, I followed the rest of the family. So it was something to look forward to. And the teachers, the first grade teacher, we didn't have kindergarten in those days, and so the first grade teacher was, knew my older siblings. So it was, she was very kind. She was very kind. And my first best friend was a Caucasian, well, a Caucasian girl. Her name was Nancy Odell. And we were real good friends and she remained friends with me, even when we went to camp she corresponded with me all through camp. And even when she went to college and when she graduated from college she came to visit us in Chicago. And she remained a true friend.

AI: Well, I'm curious to know a little bit more about the composition of the community there where you lived. I know there were a number of other Japanese American families in the Hood River valley.

BS: Yes.

AI: But where you lived, were there other families nearby and in your school also?

BS: Okay, the closest Japanese family was the Nishimotos, and they lived maybe half a mile, not even half a mile away. And they had two sons, Koe, who was, I think he was like my brother Paul's age or maybe younger, and then Tim was the same age as Junior. And so he, he hung out with us all the time. And then, but the community, we did have, we went to Japanese school, but it was my older brothers and sisters were going and then I, I just started going maybe a year or two before the war broke out. And we held Japanese class and the Nishimotos, they had, they had cabins for workers, transient workers, and so one of the cabins was used. And we had, I think it was once a week, we had Japanese lessons. And it was our minister, it was Reverend Isaac Inouye. And he would come out and teach us. And he was, he was a funny minister. He was a reckless driver. And he, my sister and I, we'd be walking home from school and any time we saw his car, because he, I mean he would, I mean, take corners like on two wheels, and, 'cause he wouldn't slow down. And so we were afraid. And so every time we saw him coming, and we could hear his car and then we would go and hide because, where we lived, between our house and the grammar school there was a steep, a very steep hill. It's the steepest hill in Hood River valley. And that's right out of, right next to where I was born, the Ehrck's Hill, they called it Ehrck's Hill. And he would, he would stop in the middle of the hill and he would tell us to get in the car and so he had done that a few times so every time we heard his car we'd go and hide so he wouldn't see us and then he'd, he'd go on his way. But one time, he would, from, I think he lived close to town, so from the Nishimotos, to go home, he would have to go by our house so he would drop us off. And then there was another family, it was the Hishinuma family. I think it was a brother and sister that attended the class, too. And they lived beyond us. So one day we all got in his car and then one of the Hishinuma boys was hanging on the (running board). And to go between the Nishimoto's and our place you have to make a sharp right turn. And he was going so fast he didn't make the turn and he ran right into a ditch. And it was fortunate that the boy that was on the (running board) was thrown so, and so he wasn't hurt. None of us were hurt, but it was terrible. [Laughs]

AI: That sounds scary. Oh, my goodness.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.