<Begin Segment 4>

TI: Now, you mentioned you were known for your strawberries, and I've read that there used to be a large strawberry festival in Bellevue?

BI: Yes, uh-huh.

TI: Do you, do you remember that?

BI: Oh, yes, uh-huh.

TI: And so tell me, what was that like?

BI: Well, it was... let's see. I was in the Court, Queen's Court one year, and I can't remember too much about it, but I remember going to, we were going to the Seattle baseball stadium as the Bellevue Queen's Court. [Laughs]

TI: So when you're Bellevue's Queen's Court, is this, is it mixed? I mean, there's Japanese, Caucasians, or is it all Japanese?

BI: No, no, it was from, there was, we were selected from high school, and so it was both Japanese and Caucasian.

TI: Okay, and so was it, was it normal, or, yeah, was it normal to have a Japanese American on the Queen's Court?

BI: I think I probably was the first one.

TI: And how, by what criteria did they use to, to choose people for the Queen's Court?

BI: You know, I don't remember.

TI: Boy, that must have been sort of an exciting time for you then, to be on the Queen's Court.

BI: Well, it was different. [Laughs]

TI: Now, how did people in the community feel about you being on the Queen's Court?

BI: I have no idea. [Laughs]

TI: So do you recall any of the, like the Issei saying anything to you when they saw you? Because you would have to wear like a, would you wear like a little tiara and things like that?

BI: No, I don't remember. I didn't wear that, I'm sure. The queen did, but I didn't.

TI: Do you recall your, your parents saying anything about you being on the Queen's Court? Your mother, your father?

BI: Not really.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.