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MA: And when -- you mentioned you were born in Tacoma, when did you actually move to Seattle?

YA: When my youngest brother was born in 1929, that's my earliest recollection. So I'm just assuming that's when we moved there.

MA: And what neighborhood did you grow up in?

YA: It was an immigrant neighborhood. And I went to school with all Chinese, Jewish kids, black kids. It was really international, and especially my grammar school.

MA: And what grammar school did you attend?

YA: I went to Washington, Washington grammar school in Seattle.

MA: So it sounds very diverse.

YA: Yes.

MA: And did you socialize a lot with kids of other ethnicities?

YA: Only at school. Only at school.

MA: What about the Nisei students at Washington grammar school? How many, about, were there?

YA: In my class, the majority was Nisei. We had four Chinese -- two Chinese boys, two Chinese girls -- two black girls, and two black boys. And several Jewish kids, yeah, maybe six, and one white boy. So it was pretty diverse.

MA: What about your teachers at Washington?

YA: They were all white and single. The P.E. teacher was male, but most of the teachers were female. And in those days, you had to be unmarried to be a teacher.

MA: Oh, interesting.

YA: Uh-huh.

MA: Can you describe a little the home you grew up in?

YA: Well, the earliest home was... I just remember where my little brother was born. But the one I remember was on Weller Street. And the... the front had a bank with nasturtiums on it. I remember climbing through those nasturtiums. And my father loved to garden, and I remember him growing tulips. Seattle... that you could grow wonderful tulips. And he had a bank of tulips on the side yard. There was a concrete step into the basement where my mother washed the clothes in a washing machine. That's all I remember. We had a backyard that had a clothesline, and my father had vegetables back there, too... grew when he had time.

MA: And at one point your family opened up a grocery store?

YA: Grocery store, yes. In 1939 -- wait a minute. No, 1930... see, my youngest brother was... 1932, I think.

MA: And it was just a, sort of, neighborhood grocery store?

YA: Yes, uh-huh.

MA: And were most of your customers Japanese American?

YA: Japanese, yes.

MA: So what were some of your... back in your grade school days, some hobbies and activities that you, that you did?

YA: Well, I remember skipping a grade because I was able to... my math was, you know, the times tables, I could, I memorized it like that. So I remember skipping a grade. But my English wasn't... see, we spoke Japanese at home, so I was not articulate at all. That was a handicap when I went to high school. My, my vocabulary wasn't all that good yet. But I had to go to Japanese school every day, after... well, for one hour after grade school, grammar school.

MA: Did you enjoy the Japanese language school?

YA: Well, yeah. I was a good Japanese school student. I always got the good grades in Japanese school. [Laughs]

MA: And what religion did your family practice?

YA: Buddhism.

MA: Did you, were you active in the church or temple activities?

YA: I went to Sunday school every Sunday, yes. And in fact, I was coming home from Sunday school, Sunday school from the Buddhist church when I heard about Pearl Harbor.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2008 Densho. All Rights Reserved.