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DG: Well, it's wonderful that you're how old?

MH: Eighty-six.

DG: Eighty-six? So you were born in...

MH: Japan.

DG: In 19...

MH: '11.

DG: '11? Okay. Tell me when you came to the United States.

MH: 1929. I came to -- Father was here. He came 1928 so I came to join the father.

DG: And you came to go to, just by yourself?

MH: Yes, by myself.

DG: And so you said that you went to USC. Is that right?

MH: Yes.

DG: Did you go right away?

MH: No. Yes, ano piano is yes right away, but class is six months later. I went to the -- I can't speak. I can write and read, but Japan high school didn't teach us for speaking. So I went to the Garden Grove grade school, fifth grade, because one of our Baptist member was teaching.

DG: English.

MH: No, fifth grade. So she told me to visit her class so I went there. And then I went there every day, and then test comes, I can make the spelling is 100 and I cannot speak. All the children wondered what's happening. The other things I get 100 so all the children came around me to copy my test answers. So teacher was so surprised and then that was about six months because I was only class with other children over there.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.