<Begin Segment 29>

AI: Okay, so we're continuing our interview with Mr. Roy Matsumoto. And before our last break, you were just telling us about graduating from high school, and the year was 1933, and from Long Beach Polytechnic High School. And I was wondering, at that time, of course, the United States was still in the middle of the Great Depression, and what were your plans? What did you think you would be able to do for, for work after graduating?

RM: Well, I didn't know what to do, but I didn't have the school, I thought I maybe end up in mechanic-, well, I took mechanical engineering, drawing so I could make a blueprint and things like that so I thought to search but nothing open there. And the next thing I knew it would be I work in produce market, so I knew the produce. Then, well, I never worked in the store so I didn't know how it work out, but looking for job and a place called keian in the Japanese, that means employment agency. Japanese go there and they looking for houseboy, or day work, or you have a special and then extra people job they wanted, you know, employment agency is Japanese, not only Los Angeles, but all over in the big cities local called keian because Isseis, they cannot find their own job so they have to go there on account of language difficulties. So I went there and there's a market opening and need a extra hand, just a helper go out there, there wasn't a steady job, I mean, a steady job. So I did some other odd things such as Japanese newspaper needed, I was looking in Japanese paper and those people for the typing section, pick up these Japanese character type, set up the press. And since I was able to do, but, see, I had nearsighted, and hard time looking at that so I decided not, it's not my line, so I quit. Then meantime I asked the employment agency if I have a steady job, I'd like to take it even though, "I don't care about the pay," I said, "just a job so I will learn."

Then they opening there and this nice location, I like this area so I may get the job. So I told manager, "I'm just learning so I don't expect too much pay," and so he says, "We're gonna teach you how." And that nice guy there, and showed me how to stack the potatoes because this odd shape, if you don't stack nicely they'll all slip down, slide down and they'll ruin the thing. So then they told me, "If you're able to stack the potato they hire you and pay regular pay." So I concentrated, that after, late at night, no customers, so I take down and restarted again and practiced that, see, so end up proficient. And I didn't have much experience at the time, but the next job they could hire because they tell you, "Stack this potato," and see, so I know there's a trick. [Laughs] So I got the job and they liked me. But what happened is, I hate to name the names, well, Yamamoto is a common name, so, the guy name was Yamamoto and he said, this man -- I don't wanna mention the owner's name -- but market owner. And he had a niece, and a pretty high school girl, and he didn't go to high school so English very poor. And he had a eye on her. Then where I come in, see, find out I'm a high school graduate, see, so she asked, well, probably other people and some guys weak in mathematics, but they says, she's study algebra, then how to do it. So I said I knew. I forgot it now, but anyway, A + B + = so and so, and I would teaching that. And then he got jealous and told old man to try to make her. So I was fired right away. So I lost the job, end up being just that nice about it, and I didn't expect anything just because she's...

TI: So, I'm sorry, I'm a little confused. So who was the one who accused, I mean, who was jealous of you?

RM: The guy named Yamamoto.

TI: Yamamoto?

RM: Yeah.

TI: Okay, so he was the one that --

RM: He's the one that -- then the reason they told me was, other people told me, I didn't know why I was fired, see.

TI: I see.

RM: Because I just, I'm new, just new. And he was there before, so then the latecomer, tried to --

TI: But what's interesting to me is how, how hard you worked, so --

RM: Yeah, I mean, that's why I worked. But he thought I have an eye on her, maybe seduce or something. I don't know. But then the reason not given, but other people told me, see, being fired, see. So I lost the job. Then I went other part, no, I don't think I deal with this Kibeis. I was a Kibei, too, but since I went to high school I usually don't mention that I'm Kibei, see. So lotta people don't, didn't know it, or... I mean, a stranger. They're other people know because I went to Japan and personal friend know, but stranger --

AI: But a stranger wouldn't -- a stranger wouldn't know that you had been in Japan?

RM: That's right. Because...

AI: Because you --

RM: With the Japanese, you know, it depend on if he speak Japanese, I speak Japanese. If he comes in English then I talk in English. But I don't want to say because I was a Kibei, then looked down on us, see. But if you don't say anything, they didn't know, so that's why I always keep my mouth shut and, see, I just listen. Then that was my habit, and even in wartime, too, after the war. I just listen and so...

<End Segment 29> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.