<Begin Segment 22>

MA: I wanted to go back a little bit and talk about your father again. I know he passed away at a relatively young age, but...

GK: (Yes), he was fifty-six.

MA: I'm sure he, you know, I'm just thinking he was such an incredible person with this incredible story, growing up in an orphanage and coming by himself to the U.S. when he was seventeen, and just, can you talk a little bit about his legacy and about his life and what you think his... I'm sure he had such an impact on this world, and what you think about that.

GK: Well, the thing I remember about him is he said that education is very important. He said, "Try to get as far as you can in education." And he was also interested in people relations and, you know, being active in the church and giving to the community and volunteering for whatever we could after we stopped working. He was also a very warm person, I remember his handshake, it was really warm. And he was just a very loving person.

MA: It seems like your parents were both very loving and warm.

GK: (Yes), they were.

MA: Good parents.

GK: Yes.

MA: And you mentioned Paul Nagano, that connection there. I mean, I think that just speaks to how many people he really touched, you know.

GK: That's right. And I think maybe those people who were baptized with Paul Nagano, there were others, too, that probably felt the same way that I just don't know about, but they felt the same way. But yes, I think the most important person was Paul Nagano, how his life (was changed), he said, because he was baptized (by my father).

MA: Yeah, and his career became influenced.

GK: Right. He became a leader in Nisei circles. And (yesterday) we met with him (at) lunchtime (with) his wife, and it was nice to kind of reacquaint ourselves. Because the last time we saw him was just before evacuation, and then when they had the Boyle Heights exhibit in Los Angeles, we met him there after all those years. And he said, "Let's stay in touch." So we had written letters back and forth, so it's nice that we got to see him (yesterday and) his wife and had a very nice time.

MA: A reunion of sorts.

GK: (Yes), right. And so we're going to see them tonight again. They're showing a film on 442nd at (the) retirement place where he lives, (and) we'll get to see that, so we'll see them again today.

MA: How do you think growing up in Boyle Heights, which was such an interesting area, how do you think that influenced you at all, or do you think it had an impact on your...

GK: Oh, yes, very definitely. I think it did influence me, and it (taught me) tolerance and diversity. You feel comfortable with other nationalities and their cultures and so forth. Yes, I think it helped me a lot.

MA: Because you were really exposed to a lot of things, like you were saying gefilte fish and different foods and different, sort of, cultures that a lot of Japanese Americans didn't have that exposure to so many other different...

GK: That's right. So I'm grateful for that, that we met all these different kinds of nationalities and kind of grew up with them. And that gives you an appreciation of other cultures and other foods and so forth. So I think that was a good experience.

MA: Well, is there anything else you'd like to share before we wrap up? Anything we didn't cover or anything that you want to say, any final thoughts?

GK: Well, I'm just grateful for this opportunity to tell my story. And I just hope that people who will see it or read about it, or see it on the website, I hope that they will learn something about what we went through. And, well, I just think it's a good thing for posterity.

MA: I agree. Thank you so much for traveling all the way here and sharing your story with us. It's been really a wonderful experience.

GK: Oh, thank you very much, I've enjoyed it.

MA: Oh, good.

<End Segment 22> - Copyright ©2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.