<Begin Segment 10>

AI: Well, I wanted to ask also when you started school there in the village, you said the school was only about a half-block away --

RM: Uh-huh.

AI: What are some of your memories?

RM: Less than a half-block.

AI: What are some of your memories from starting school there? Because now you had been, you knew Japanese, how to speak it, but what about reading and writing, did you have trouble catching up?

RM: Well, the first grade, so they teach it, see. I started from first grade. So I'm, one of the older, but so happened that Hiroshima, especially that town, a lotta immigrant came to United States. So we see -- I didn't realize but went there, then lotta people told me, "I was born in United States." So lotta kids, about one-third of 'em, they're either from Hawaii or California or Oregon or Washington, most of 'em Southern California because that village... see, my grandfather called in so their kids, much, most of 'em younger than me, but... so then we talked to each other, and then start from the bottom, so it wasn't too hard. At first, of course, I didn't even know -- of course, lot of kids don't know anything about until start school, see.

AI: So you weren't really behind.

RM: No, not behind. And my grandfather taught me, see, him and obaachan. And it was the summertime, so no school. So first time got there we went fishing. Then he's the one taught me this storyteller, he was a story -- and that's why I learned quite a bit, so...

AI: So when you --

RM: I don't, I don't want, see, if I say it's so it would be like bragging, but I knew quite a bit. I mean, I just keep quiet so people don't know but as far as Japanese knowledge goes, he taught me lot of things and...

AI: So --

RM: My, my wife is a college graduate but I knew more than her in Japanese, like geography, I know exactly where the ken is from the Hokkaido to Okinawa. I know every one of 'em, about fifty of 'em, see... anyway...

AI: Well, before we, before we get into that, I wanted to ask more about your childhood in Japan. And so the schoolwork, it sounds like the schoolwork was not that hard for you?

RM: No.

AI: But you mentioned that up to a third of the kids in that village were either born in Hawaii or the U.S. or they lived in the U.S. for a while before coming to Japan. But also, in our earlier conversation, you mentioned that some of the kids also were very mean to you because you came from the United States. What kind of things would the other kids say to you?

RM: Well, I don't know what other people felt, but probably the same because they looked down on because we talk so many way, and because they mixed English words and so looked down on us, or some of the thing like a custom we don't know, 'cause came from the United States. So the thing that upset me was they keep telling me this "dumb immigrants," you know, kids. So...

AI: And in Japanese what would they be saying? In Japanese --

RM: Imin no ko. "Imin" is "immigrant," "no ko" means "kid." Says oh, kind of thing, just bakayaro or whatever they tell, profanity they use and that upset me. Later on, it get to know, then learn as you go then you get to know the custom and things like that, then some of 'em pretty friendly, so associate with them.

AI: But at the time, it sounds like it was, it was very hurtful, that they --

RM: Yeah, well, to me it was hurtful. The reason was that somehow... well, I think my grand-, maternal -- paternal grandmother loved me, I suppose, but they're very strict and always I been scold and only the word I hear is, "Go to Kimura," that is my maternal grandmother's place.

AI: And so, so then sometimes you would then live with your maternal grandmother?

RM: Yes, sometimes it did and then it cool off and then they say okay to come back. But in the meantime, I was sent there, then the bad thing is wintertime, cold place, you gotta walk and sometimes is snow, and --

AI: And your maternal, maternal grandmother's house was farther away from your --

RM: Farther walk, about two miles away, I figure. I didn't know how far it was but to me it's very far at the time, when I was kid. But now, so we have a car to go there and get there in a few minutes, so, five minutes probably.

TI: So, Roy, when you were arguing with your brother Takeshi, and then your paternal grandmother broke it up and sent you --

RM: Yeah.

TI: -- did she ever send Takeshi to your maternal grandmother?

RM: No, no. He was the pet because he was younger than me. And I didn't know why I shouldn't but that's her, I think, trait, trait I think, I don't know, habit of doing that. I don't know whether she did to other people or not. But I know did later on, I know she's partial to some of my sister and brothers, some were favored and some were, always got scold. At the time only my brother and I, but I was the one always get blamed and... but I was too young. I didn't, it didn't, should behave, like should but I just, my type was... then I would get mad, too, because if he want to play, I says, "Okay, play," then if he lose he get mad, then he start to cry and then my grandmother hear that, then she tell me, "Go to Kimuras.'"

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.