<Begin Segment 5>

MN: But your father started to write to you and say, "Send money," because your house in Japan burned down and he needs to build a new house.

TN: Yes.

MN: So you need to send money to him. What did you do?

TN: You see the suitcase there? My father wrote, "Send the money because you've been over a year now, and we need the money," he said he planned to build a house. But I don't have money. I can't say, 'cause I'm not paying anything. I said, "I just don't have the money." So I tell my folks, "Wait a little while." But they keep writing to me.

MN: So what did you do? Did you find a job? A different job?

TN: Then I thought I better give up this. But actually, cousin, husband, you know, she's the one owned the... but he's a lazy person. Oh, he don't know nothing about the farm because he's, too, big family, and the bottom boy. I think they spoiled him. Every day he'd read the comic under the tree. [Laughs] Then my cousin tell him to, "Hey, you better clean up some spot," he'd get up there next morning and he does that. That's about it. So I thought, "My gosh, he said he's gonna make me a good farmer," but I thought, "This man..." [laughs]. So I thought, "Oh, I better wake up." Then I say I'm gonna get a job. Then Nakano-san tell me, said that.

MN: Where, where was Nakano-san's store?

TN: Turlock to Modesto is about ten [inaudible].

MN: And what was the store called?

TN: Halfpenny store.

MN: Can you show them a photo of the... which one is the store?

TN: Yes, this is the grocery store. Upstairs is apartment, and barbershop, garage, all that.

MN: It's a big store.

TN: Big store. They have everything. General store. Even automobile tire.

MN: What kind of work did you do at the store?

TN: General, you know, serve the people, and delivering stuff. And I lived with them, so Sunday they want to go certain place, I take them, shopping, whatever.

MN: So you had no day off.

TN: Yeah. But I was enjoying, because no family, and people treated me okay. And long as they pay me, I don't mind work. So that was okay. [Laughs]

MN: What kind of customers came to Mr. Nakano's store?

TN: Mostly Japanese and Mexican people.

MN: Did you face any discrimination at Modesto?

TN: No, I don't think so. But I remember one time in high school, I was very popular in junior high school, you know. I have a picture. And we were very friendly. Everybody, they liked me. But the one boy, one time, just playing, called me "Jap." [Laughs] So I slapped him so hard. "Don't you ever call me..." after that... anyway, it was friend. That's it. And one time, too, in the army, I was a corporal's guard, and I did favor for this guy. He didn't do right, and he called me "Jap." So I got so mad, too. Take the, "Come on out," and we fight. But the sergeant comes in, he said, him quit. So that's, all my life, call me, so far, two time, "Jap."

MN: And that was your army days.

TN: Yeah, one time in the army, one time in high school.

<End Segment 5> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.