<Begin Segment 6>

TI: And then you talked about high school, that you remembered high school, so which, do you remember what high school you went to?

FS: Elk Grove High School. Well, I went, I would say, I went three, about three months, place called Patterson High School. That's a ways on the other side of Stockton. And it must've been about three months and then we came back, came back to Elk Grove and my, before we got, before our boss told us that... my dad and he had an argument so we left. So in between that grammar school, someplace else for two years, then high school, high school, where I graduated from grammar school was Terminus, and then I went to the Patterson High School for three, about three months where... that's when I got my name Fred, because the principal said, "I want, I can't remember, I can't call you the Japanese name, so give me a English name." So that's where I got my name Fred.

TI: Oh, let's talk about that. So up to that point people called you Tadashi? Is that...

FS: No, after that they start calling me Fred.

TI: Yeah, after that Fred, but before...

FS: Yeah, they would call me Tadashi.

TI: Tadashi. And then this principal gave you the name Fred.

FS: Yeah.

TI: Did he ask you if that was okay or anything, or did he just start calling you Fred?

FS: No, he just said, "I'd rather call you Fred than some other name." Said, "Japanese name, I can't, I can't remember that," so he said, "Give me a English name."

TI: And how did you feel about being called Fred, after being called Tadashi all the way up to high school?

FS: It would be easier for me, I think. Everybody would call me right away that way. The other way they can't call me, anyway so...

TI: And how about your friends? Do they right away start calling you Fred, also?

FS: Well, after I came back to Elk Grove High School, yeah, because I have a best friend and his name was Fred, too, and he came from, he came from Japan before the war and he was in high school together, so we got to be good friend.

TI: Okay, so you're, you're talking about all the different schools, so I really get a sense that your family kind of moved around quite a bit, or, or somewhat. Can you explain that again? I think you mentioned your father, 'cause he had a job here, job there.

FS: Yeah.

TI: So why don't you describe that?

FS: When he, when he had first... when we moved from Yolo County and he's the one that recommended to go to Elk Grove orchard, nothing but fruit orchard, plums and plums, pears, and a few grapes. And that's when the regular, original boss, he passed away while we were there, so this English man, he took over, he bought the place and he took over, and that's when we had a, that's when I was in, I would say... grammar school? Yeah, grammar school, about seventh grade or eighth grade. That's when we, we had a fall-out with the boss, so we, that's when we left. That's when I went to, stayed in Sacramento for a while, so I went to eighth grade in Sacramento Junior High School.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.