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MA: And so the war ended, and so then where did your family end up? Where did they go after?

EH: Apparently, for some reason, we were not allowed to return to Hawaii right away. So because of my father's interest in painting, they ended up in New York City, Greenwich Village, and I guess he proceeded to do his thing.

MA: Do you have a -- I mean, you were, what, one or two at that point. Do you have any memories of New York City?

EH: Some. Seeing Central Park, riding the subway, stuff like that, I kind of remember. But, you know, as you get older, lose it. [Laughs] But yeah, I guess certain things I do remember, even the bad stuff.

MA: And your father, as you said -- excuse me -- went to New York to sort of pursue painting?

EH: Yeah, his artistic inclinations. I also understood later on that he also did study in France. Before or after the war, I'm not sure. I would guess after the war because they were already in New York. And I think he may have gone to France for about a year to study under, I guess, one of the masters at that time, and then came back.

MA: And then how long were you in New York City?

EH: Came back to Hawaii, I believe I was, like, five years old. Four to five years.

MA: And then at that point it was your mother and you and your siblings, right? Your father stayed?

EH: My brothers, sisters, one brother, one sister.

MA: And then your father stayed behind. You told me he stayed...

EH: Yeah, he stayed behind. He came back for maybe a couple weeks, then he disappeared again. And this is -- I'm guessing, too -- but I guess I tell people, you kind of have to understand artistic people, and they're very eccentric. And I've heard from more than one person that being in camp, my father was really frustrated. He couldn't do what he wanted to do, and he couldn't do anything to support his family. So obviously he was really frustrated. So I guess when he was released from camp and free, he just did his own thing.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.