<Begin Segment 27>

AI: And before we get there, I wanted to ask you a question about, we had, in an early discussion, talked about how sometimes some of the Nisei who had never been to Japan would sometimes look down on Nisei who had lived in Japan. Did you experience that?

RM: Yes.

AI: While you were high school? Tell me what --

RM: Well, before high school, just came back and some told me, I was lookin' at the, this comic, you know, funny, the newspaper, and say, just looking at, then was tellin', "You don't understand that," you know, but...

AI: So --

RM: So, I understood but some of the comics were kinda hard to me, but I'm just studying, see, and try to remember the spelling and things like what does it mean, try to figure out, then look down on me. But on the other hand, I know I got mad, but I didn't show that I was talk back. Then I would say then, "Can you read the Japanese newspaper?" or something like that. But I didn't say, 'cause on account of that, almost killed the guy and I decided not to go back at it. See, of course, I have chance to do it, but I just took it. Not only from the Japanese part, but then the Caucasian, the hakujin, and especially... that was the first, but later on, we went to camp and that was the discrimination when we were put 'em in camp and those things I wanna... that my motivation was that I'm gonna show that I'm maybe -- not better than other guy -- but just as good as next guy, and show 'em what I do, then I just bear the fruits. Fortunately, I was able to contribute the show 'em... that's why I get lot of... even though he is a Japanese American but --

AI: So, even --

RM: The I way I gonna -- this is beside the point, but a sad experience this August. I don't know whether mention here or not, but anyway, still, there is discrimination.

AI: Well, so speaking of discrimination, before the war, you were saying that even in high school you felt some prejudice from some of the Caucasians? Is that right?

RM: No, not to me, I don't know others, but they were more or less curious because I know... ask me what it say in Japanese, something like that, ask a question, see, so very friendly. But the one not friendly probably stay away from me. But I didn't get any direct insult. I didn't experience, so I never thought of that. But some, well, I think other Kibeis experienced, too. They more or less looked down on it, see. It may have a more education but not in English, in Japanese so this, as far as knowledge goes, maybe smarter, but then yet, still, Kibei is discriminated, I know.

TI: Well, I'm curious, as we talk about this, it almost sounds like it was that the Niseis, the ones who didn't go to Japan, that they were perhaps harder on the Kibeis that the actual Caucasians were?

RM: Uh-huh.

TI: And that, is that, would you say that is true?

RM: Yeah, that, uh-huh, yeah, well to me, seems to be. But, well, like I said, even though I had a opinion, but sometimes just don't say anything and I don't wanna hurt other people's feelings, too. But there is --

AI: A negative feeling.

RM: Between, they think they better than the Kibeis. But then we had the same way, fourteen of us and half of 'em were foreign, never been to Japan, went to school and graduate and same, you know --

AI: Oh, you're talking about later when you're in the service.

RM: Yeah.

AI: Okay, well, we'll --

RM: There is, we know, that was the start of it.

<End Segment 27> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.