<Begin Segment 6>

MA: I wanted to ask you about your siblings. Can you name your siblings, I guess, their names and the order of their birth? So you, you were first born, right?

SO: (Yes), I'm the oldest. And then my brother is, yeah, my brother, Tom is his name, and Japanese name is Tsuguo, T-S-U-G-U-O, Tsuguo. And then Emiko, then Michie, M-I-C-H-I-E.

MA: And you said that, were all the siblings given both Japanese and American names?

SO: Uh-huh, yes. Well, well, (it) is shortened, I would say. I guess it is a little different. I mean, Michie, the American name was Michi, so it was just shortened a little bit. Emiko is, they still called her Emi, so they just took the "-ko" out. I don't know if that's a change or not.

MA: How did you choose "Sam"? Did you choose?

SO: No, my dad. My dad had it chosen, so I went along with it. [Laughs]

MA: And you said you were involved with the church. Was that the Methodist?

SO: Methodist, uh-huh, United Methodist Church.

MA: How did you become involved with that?

SO: Well, that was our main religion during those days, I mean. Even the Isseis were Methodist. They're the ones who started this Methodist Church, way back in 190-something, I think they said it was, yeah.

MA: So your parents, then, were Christian?

SO: Methodist. They were Christians, too.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.