Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Bernadette Suda Horiuchi Interview
Narrator: Bernadette Suda Horiuchi
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: May 19, 2009
Densho ID: denshovh-hbernadette-01-0001

<Begin Segment 1>

TI: So we're gonna get started, Bernadette. And the way I start this is I do what's called a visual slate. So I mention the day, so today is May 19, 2009, it's a Tuesday, it's in the morning, and we're at the Densho studios. And also in the room for this interview is your son Paul, and on camera is Dana Hoshide, and I'm the interviewer, my name is Tom Ikeda. So thank you for joining us. So, Bernadette, I'm going to start from the very beginning, and why don't you tell me when you were born and where you were born.

BH: I was born in, actually, we lived in Bellevue because of the farm. But the winter, we had a farm and in the winter, there's nothing to do, so we came to Seattle to live, and that's when I was born. So I was actually born in Seattle, but we lived in Bellevue.

TI: And what day were you born, or what was your birthdate?

BH: February the 11th, 1913.

TI: Now, was that common for Bellevue families to both have a farm in Bellevue and a farm in Seattle?

BH: I don't think so. I think the only one I know is that we were the only ones. And, of course, the Takizakis already lived in Seattle. No, they lived in Bellevue also, but they came to Seattle earlier than we did.

TI: When you were born, what was the name given to you at birth?

BH: Setsuko.

TI: And then where did "Bernadette" come from?

BH: That was my Christening name.

TI: Oh, okay. So later, when you were Baptized...

BH: 1929.

TI: Now, was there -- and your maiden name was Suda.

BH: Yeah, Suda, S-U-D-A.

TI: Was there any significance to the name Setsuko? Do you know why they...

BH: No, I don't know. I didn't like the name, so I didn't use it very much. [Laughs] So he renamed me Mary, so it was Mary Suda for a long time.

TI: And who gave you the name Mary?

BH: My father.

TI: Okay, so first they named you Setsuko, and then later on they, you became Mary.

BH: Yeah. So I don't use Setsuko anymore.

TI: And then later on when you were Baptized, you went to Bernadette.

BH: Yeah.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.