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TI: Okay, so the way I start this is just the date and where we are, so today's Wednesday, June 9, 2010. We're in Kona, on camera is Dana Hoshide, and I'm the interviewer, Tom Ikeda. So Kay, why don't we just start by telling me when you were born and where you born.

KK: I was born in Los Angeles, in October 7th of 1932.

TI: And what was the name given to you at birth?

KK: Kay, and it was K-A-Y. Some places I see it K-A-E, but then that's not what my father said it was, K-A-Y. He gave all the girls one name because he figured they would get married and they'd have another name. So the boys he gave three names to, I mean two names, but, you know.

TI: So the first, middle, and then the Uno, last name.

KK: Yeah. So I use Uno as my middle name now.

TI: Was there a reason why "Kay" was used? Like, do you know where "Kay" came from?

KK: No.

TI: Okay, so let's, you mentioned your father. Tell me your father's name.

KK: George Kazumaro Uno. Wait, wait, wait, is he Kazumaro?

TI: Is it Kumemaro?

KK: Kumemaro, he's Kumemaro. [Laughs] My brother is Kazumaro, yeah, Kumemaro. [Laughs]

TI: And where was he born?

KK: In Japan.

TI: Do you know what part?

KK: Kanazawa.

TI: And do you know what kind of business or work his family did in Japan?

KK: Yes. His father was in the military, and his father was an officer in the cavalry, cavalry, and he, his father fought in the Russian-Japanese War in Manchuria. And his father, his mother met a -- they moved around Japan a lot with the military -- and his mother met a woman missionary, and I can't remember what city or anything, but she was turned into a Christian, and the father's family told him he had to divorce her. And he said no, and then when he came back and had this wound in his leg, they were going to cut off his leg, she said no, and she and her Christian friends came and prayed over the leg, and I think they used American medicine, I don't, you know, I would think so, but, anyway, they saved the leg, and so he became a Christian. [Laughs]

TI: What a good story.

KK: Yeah. And he was so proud of her that she was so active in many organizations, like she was a president of the Officer's Women's Club, she was president of the Red Cross, she was, oh, there was a temperance group and she was head of that, and she was just really a lady that was active in all kinds of things. And when they went back to Kanazawa, to their home, she opened her home up to Christians. And so, of course, their house was, the wall was marked up and rocks were thrown and everything. My father said he would get rocks thrown at him and he'd get knocked around because he was a Christian, and they would, you know, tease him and everything. But she opened her home to Christians, and I think about four of the men who came to her home later became ministers.

TI: Ministers in Japan?

KK: In Japan.

TI: So Christian ministers in Japan.

KK: Uh-huh, Christian ministers in Japan.

TI: What an interesting story.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.