<Begin Segment 5>

TI: So where, when you got to Los Angeles, where did you live in Los Angeles?

FS: We lived in, mainly in downtown area, where my dad had a restaurant. He had a restaurant before the Skid Row became Skid Row. Fifth Street was a prominent street. Because from, it went to the depot, the route to the depot. So Fifth Street went into the depot, train station, which was always on Broadway going this way. And then I remember when I was little kid, Roosevelt got office, he came down that street in an open car. I remember that.

TI: And so when he did that, was there like, was it like a parade? People were lined up on the side?

FS: Parade, yeah. And it was nothing of today. You know how Fifth Street, I don't know if you've ever been on Fifth Street today, but it's, you don't want to go there. You won't be able to get out. I'm not kidding.

TI: Yeah, no, I've been down there.

FS: Okay.

TI: It's a pretty rough area.

FS: Yeah, yeah. But in those days, Fifth Street was a very prominent area, and my dad had two restaurants on Fifth Street. And then...

TI: Do you remember the names of the restaurants?

FS: I don't know the names. One was between San Pedro and Fifth Street, so toward west, half a block up, west. That I know.

TI: And you said you lived in this neighborhood. Where, do you remember kind of what street or where?

FS: We lived on Crocker Street, in Fifth and Crocker. I remember that. [Laughs]

TI: So what are some of your, as a boy, growing up, what are some memories in terms of your friends and the things you did?

FS: Oh. When I wanted to go to, they want me to go to school, my mom told me to go to school, made me lunch, I didn't know where the school was. But there was a Chinese boy across the street, about my age, father had a laundry. I mean real hand laundry, no machine, hand, big old tub. His name was David, David Wong. I'll never forget him. So I told him, I said, "I want to go to grammar school, but I don't know where it is. Can you show me?" He said, "I'll take you." So he took me to school, he registered me. Chinese boy. And I'll never forget him, because he was a little kid, I was a little kid, but he had the sincerity to help, which I never found later. Even today, I can't find people like that. Took my hand, went to school, and then went home, took my hand, walked all the way home, and do that every day.

TI: Now, was David older than you or about the same age?

FS: About the same age.

TI: Now, how did he know how to do all this?

FS: Well, he was going to school there already. And then I really don't know if I was in the same grade with him or not. That I don't know. [Laughs]

TI: And so I'm thinking, so why weren't your parents able to help you? I mean, why didn't they...

FS: Too busy making money. My mom was taking in the front of the restaurant, my dad was in the back end.

TI: So you were pretty much left on your own to...

FS: Yeah, I'll tell you the truth now, I have no memory of eating food with my mom and dad, even New Year. So in other words, 365 days out of the year, we never sat on the table and ate together. Because my dad had a restaurant. So if I wanted something, I'd just go up to where all the food are, and I'd just help myself. My dad said, "Oh, urusai, mendokusai." So he'd tell me, "Hey, get it yourself." So whatever, stew, rice, and everything else. I couldn't fry nothing, there's nobody to fry it for me, so I only got the food that was in the pot, beef stew, you know. And so that's how me and my brother ate. I fixed my brother -- he loved soup, any kind of soup, so I gave him soup and rice, or soup and French bread with a lot of butter.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 2009 Densho. All Rights Reserved.