<Begin Segment 18>

MA: Can you talk a little bit about this tradition you have with your grandkids and taking them to Japan? Because I think that's really interesting.

BK: Yeah, we have seven grandkids, and six of them are half Japanese and half Caucasian. And I should show you pictures of them. [Laughs] They're all beautiful. It's a good combination, just like you. [Laugh] My husband kids about it, and he said it makes their nose taller and their eyes bigger. But they're all beautiful. Anyway, I have one that looks just like Ann Curry, too, like one of my grandkids. But anyway, I think it's important for them to learn about their Japanese side. And so when they graduate from high school, I take them to Japan. And I've taken two, and two are graduating from high school this year, so I'm taking two. And then the other two are eighth graders, and I thought, "I may not want to do this in four more years," and so, I'm taking those, them, too. And then our youngest son to help me. So there will be six of us going.

[Interruption]

MA: Well why don't we talk a little bit about your kids, then. And when you were raising them, you said earlier in the interview that you were kind of sad that you didn't teach them Japanese. What, what sort of Japanese traditions did you celebrate or pass down when they were growing up?

BK: Well, we still have, we don't pound the mochi for New Year's, but my husband's sisters all get together and so, whenever I can, I'll go over and do it with them. But, yeah, we usually eat mochi on New Year's Day. And then, we try to come up to Denver for the Obon festival during cherry blossom time. But I'm not as good about it, either, as a lot of my sisters are, yeah. They'll prepare the full New Year's feast on New Year's Day and things like that. In fact, I can't even make sushi, so sad to say. I would depend on my mother, when she'd come down and visit. She'd make it for us and I could do it if I wanted to, but...

MA: Are these your two sisters that lived in Japan?

BK: Yeah, they were, but some of the others were, too. They were good at Japanese cooking.

MA: And your kids then grew up in Alamosa.

BK: Uh-huh.

MA: Did they, you mentioned earlier that your, your kids had some problems with the way they were treated and discrimination. Was it hard for them to grow up in Alamosa, do you think? A smaller town?

BK: No, I don't think so. Because it was a small town. Those incidents were not like every day. And they had good Caucasian friends, and Hispanic friends that they still keep in touch with to this day.

MA: Do you feel like in those years that you've lived in Alamosa that various ethnic communities have sort of come together more? Or is it still divided, do you think?

BK: They come together somewhat, but there's still a division, there's still a division. You'll hear remarks, especially made from my Caucasian friends about the Hispanics. And we have a few blacks now, going to college at Adams State. And when I'll say, "Oh, there's still prejudice around," and I'll talk about it, they'll say, "Well, we don't think of you as being different." And I just laugh, and I say, "Oh, come on now. It's pretty obvious." No... yeah. But it's not as bad as it used to be.

MA: That's interesting though, the views would be, would change towards you, whereas after Pearl Harbor you were sort of looked at as a "Jap."

BK: Oh, yeah.

MA: Now it's sort of like, "Oh, we don't see you as.."

BK: Yeah.

MA: It's almost like it's gone sort of more, not as overt, but it's still there. It seems like from what you just said.

BK: Oh, it's still there, it's still there. But in a smaller town, we can integrate easier. I know my sisters who live up here in Denver, they still stay with just Japanese friends, and attend all Japanese things. And I try to encourage them to join clubs. And they're very reluctant, but if you live in a small town, you're invited to join and so I became active, very active in some of these clubs. So, and that's helped me a lot, I think. And maybe that's why they say that they don't think of me as being Japanese.

<End Segment 18> - Copyright ©2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.