<Begin Segment 12>

[Ed. note: This transcript has been edited by the narrator]

TI: So I want to go back to your mother and father's sort of attitudes during this time period before the war. So here they were, in a place where not only were their customers and people they dealt with were Japanese, but it was also Chinese, Filipinos...

SA: And a few Caucasians.

TI: A few Caucasians. And I'm also thinking of your, kind of your mother's upbringing. And now she's essentially a merchant, which she probably didn't really care for. How did she feel about the other races about this time?

SA: Well, I think she viewed them as customers. But you know, they stuck to their customs (and didn't associate outside of the store). My mother and dad were forever taking buckets of water and cleaning up (the streets). And I noticed they did that in Japan, they're forever sweeping the sidewalks. (...) The strength of our store really lay, not just because they were good businessmen. Next door was the Russell Meat Market, and that brought in a lot of customers and we're right there, (next door. So folks just dropped in to buy vegetables, etcetera).

TI: So there's just this line of stores that people would go to.

SA: Well, we were fortunate to have that meat market there. And then we (had), two doors to the right, (...) a Chinese chicken, poultry (business), bringing in fresh chicken. So I thought we were very fortunate, we drew the customers.

TI: Right. But I was wondering about more your parents' attitude in terms of during this time, you mentioned earlier how your mother would really pay attention to what was happening with Japan. And during this time, Japan was fighting China and places like this. So how did that play out in Seattle?

SA: We, so we were forever sending care packages, if you would call it that, (to Japan, for her folks and his).

TI: And how did that relate or how did that change how she dealt with, say, the Chinese customers? Did she ever, did that ever come up in terms of Japanese-Sino relations?

SA: (No), except I heard my father call them "Chankoro," which is really a, not a very nice term. It would be like "Chinks" or something. But I was surprised to hear him use that term. But I must say, the Japanese in the Meiji era had a lot of rules that they abided by. One of them, two of them in particular. You don't talk about your problems to anyone, and you keep your finances to yourself. And that, I think, has made most of the Issei stand up under the strain of coping with the Depression. 'Cause many of them, I know, formed groups. They had what they called the tanomoshii, one person would go around and pick up the money, so if you died, at least you could have a decent funeral. And that money also was used to launch businesses. There were about nine of 'em, well, they each take turns dipping in the pot, and that's what starts it. And maybe that's how my dad got started, too, I don't know.

TI: Yeah I heard that to start businesses, but you also said they would use that to help funeral expenses, things like that?

SA: Yeah. Well, the koden comes in on that, and I think we're still doing it, the Niseis are. I don't know about your generation, I think they've stopped. It should be stopped.

TI: And that was started, because that was pretty much something that was just started by the immigrants here.

SA: Yes.

TI: Because that's not something that is common in Japan.

SA: Well, I think they give it in Japan, too, they give a huge amount. They still do.

TI: Okay.

SA: Because I know one of my cousins had died, and I thought sending two hundred was quite a bit, but they said it should (be about) a thousand. (...) So, you know, things have gone up, they still do (koden in Japan).

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.