<Begin Segment 20>

BK: You had spoken about the fact that your mother had talked to you about school, or not learning enough. Was there any reason for the lack of motivation, from your point of view?

MH: I think it's because, when you're in camp and you have how many thousand kids your same age, all you can think of is going out and doing something, going to a dance or... I know if I didn't have a date for a dance, one of my brothers would go, "I'm going to the dance, you wanna come?" So away I'd go, without even thinking it. Mother used to get after me, one time, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I think I went to a dance every night. And I got so sick, she just laughed. Oh, it was between Christmas and New Year's I went every night. New Year's Day I could hardly get out of bed, and she didn't, she didn't feel a bit sorry for me. [Laughs] "Serves you right." [Laughs]

BK: Well, it sounds as though, when you say you first went to Seattle, it was hard to make friends. Now we're in camp, and it seems to be a whole different kind of a story for you.

MH: It is, except that out of all the people that I knew in camp, there's only one girl that I've kept in contact. I think if you don't grow up with a, regardless, you... like my sister-in-law is seventy-five, and she still goes with kindergarten friends. Where girls I went to high school with, they have parties, but they never invite me. The Japanese... even though we were in the same class, I'm not considered part of that group.

BK: Because you feel that you didn't grow up with everyone...

MH: Yes.

BK: ...from first grade.

MH: I don't know if it's every culture, or what, but I never even had many Japanese friends until I became a widow.

BK: Is that right? We need to talk about that.

<End Segment 20> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.