<Begin Segment 12>

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

FT: Then when I was (...) at the university. I (...) worked for the Japanese American Courier when James Sakamoto was there.

TI: Yeah, let's talk about that. So what kind of writing, what did you do at the Courier?

FT: (...) I was sports editor, so I did a lot of reporting on sports events. And then of course, I helped write and edit articles for the Pacific Citizen that Sakamoto (...), I think, (...) started the Pacific Citizen and was printing that (paper at the time).

TI: About how old were you, about what year was this?

FT: Oh, before that, when I was in high school, I used to help Bud Fukei, (who edited the) English section in one of the Japanese papers. I (helped) write articles. And (also) I helped Charlie Nakata, he also had (an) English section in one of the other paper. (...) (There were) two Japanese newspapers in Seattle at that time, and each had an English section. So I used to help one or the other (...).

TI: Would you work on sports, or just general?

FT: No, I did other community news.

TI: And was this because of your journalism background at Broadway that they wanted you?

FT: Yeah. More or less. And I was interested in it, so...

TI: And so when you're reporting like that, would you go out in the community and interview people to get stories?

FT: Oh, some of it. I go to (...) community events and write about it. And they when I was at the U, I started working for Sakamoto, as the sports editor. And at that time, I think (...) Bill Hosokawa was (...) still there. And a Norio Wakamatsu, (was) there (and a lady) doing the ladies' column.

TI: So in those early days, or when you worked at the Courier...

FT: I worked after school.

TI: Okay, so what was it like? What was Jimmy Sakamoto trying to do with that newspaper, in terms of, 'cause that was a pretty new, a new endeavor. So describe what it was like working there.

FT: Oh, he was blind, you know. So his wife would (take dictation) for him (...). I used to do most of the sports.

TI: So you did sports. Like Bill Hosokawa, what did he write?

FT: He was writing a column. And so was Norio (...).

TI: And how about Sakamoto? He was writing his column?

FT: He was writing editorials(...). (Narr. note: Sakamoto was dedicated in bringing the Japanese Americans into the mainstream of American life. He wrote editorials for that objective and was one of the founders of JACL, but under its original name, which I don't remember.)

TI: And in general, how, who read the Courier back then?

FT: Well, we had quite (a lot of readers in) the Nisei community. (He went to) Franklin High School. (He) was a boxer, and (...) boxed at Madison Square Garden (...). He had puffed ears, boxer's ears. (He was) the voice of the Japanese American community, and (he succeeded in this).

TI: How was it working for him?

FT: Working for him? Oh, real good -- (I enjoyed it and learned much from him).

TI: So what were some of the good things about working at the Courier?

FT: Well, just getting involved in the Japanese American community. And getting' knowledgeable about politics, you know. Reading his editorials (...).

TI: Well you mentioned the early editions of the Pacific Citizen. So that was kind of the beginnings of the Japanese American Citizens League, you know, JACL. So what kind, what would you write for the Pacific Citizen? Was it sports again, or different things?

FT: Well, I did (...) sports (and other community events). I (also) did some proofreading

[Interruption]

TI: Being, back then it was just so crude, or I guess harder to do things with the old system?

FT: Yeah.

TI: I'm curious, going back to these early days of the Pacific Citizen, did you ever talk to Sakamoto or any of the others about the beginnings of the JACL, and just what that was going to be?

FT: No. I don't remember.

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