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MN: Now you stayed in Kauai for three months and then you came, flew to LAX, and then you were reunited with your mother and sister. What was that like?

AT: In the beginning, it was a little strange, 'cause I hadn't seen Mother for a long time. So only way I remember was by pictures. But yeah, it was... my sister, as children we got close very fast, but with my mother, I kind of had to get used to it.

MN: Actually, I think I skipped a little. Can you explain to us why your mother was in southern California?

AT: Oh, okay. My mother was, the last job she had in Hawaii was she was working for a doctor's family, and she said it was in the Tantalus area of Honolulu. And the doctor's family was moving back to mainland, and they asked my mother, "If you would promise to work for us a year," that they will pay her and my sister's fare to California. So, and my, I know my mother had written to my grandparents consulting, and also my mother thought maybe education will be better if she moved to California. So they moved and they, the doctor lived in San Marino, so they worked for the family for a year in San Marino. And my sister went to school there, and she was the only non-white there. And, in fact, at that time, my sister was saying non-residents had to move, leave the town, leave the San Marino before sunset. So it was, yeah, very exclusive area. So after the year term was over, they moved to Los Angeles and they lived in an apartment I think around Second and... in Boyle Heights. Second and Pennsylvania, that area, Chicago.

MN: So while she was here, you were coming, trying to get to Hawaii. And so you didn't come at the same time.

AT: No, not at same time. So they, so after they moved to Boyle Heights area, and then, yeah, second apartment. I guess they were living in very small apartment, so I was coming, so they moved to another apartment, it was a back house where there were actual bedroom, one bedroom there. So that's where I came. And she, during that time, she was working at old Japanese hospital right in Boyle Heights.

MN: Now, when you arrived in Los Angeles, how much English did you speak?

AT: None. Maybe "thank you." [Laughs]

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.