<Begin Segment 4>

MN: What were your plans after you graduated from school?

HM: I didn't have any future plans back them. I was starving when I was going to school. I didn't have any lunch, didn't have any food. I fainted when I was sitting because I was so hungry. I could not stand up. My teacher offered lunch, said (s)he gave me lunch, but I didn't take the offer. The teacher bought me some sweets. I remember that. My grades were terrible. [inaudible] I didn't study, I couldn't.

MN: When did you receive a letter from your father's cousin who lived in the States?

HM: When, from the uncle? I came over in 1924, so that must be 1924.

MN: You were already eighteen years old then?

HM: Yes, I came over on Asama Maru. Steamboat.

MN: By Asama Maru?

HM: Yes, Asama Maru. I got a letter from my dad's cousin. He told me to come to the States. That's why I came over. I came over and met him. His family name is Murakoshi, and he had three kids.

MN: About when you came over by Asama Maru and arrived in San Francisco, you went to Angel Island first.

HM: Yes, an island. [inaudible] It was an island. Sort of like a prison. We were staying there. My friends at the same age came over with me. They were Kibei. [inaudible] We were staying there. We were there for about two weeks.

MN: What did immigration officers ask you during the two weeks of stay?

HM: We have an interpreter, a Japanese guy as an interpreter. He was Issei. A white guy said something. The guy interpreted and asked questions to us, about many different things. Like where we were born and stuff. When did we go back to Japan, go there, how many brothers and sisters do we have and so on. I answered in Japanese. I didn't speak a word in English. The Japanese interpreter, his name was Nomura, finally asked me if I was American or Japanese. Both, I answered. I told him I had dual citizenship. I got permission, and my uncle came to pick me up. We headed for his house, leaving the immigration office, back to San Leandro.

MN: When you were staying in Angel Island, what type of racial background did those people have? Were there only Japanese people?

HM: Only Japanese people when I was there. They were at my age and also Kibei Nisei. I saw about thirty people, and there were more.

MN: Did you see any Chinese or Korean people?

HM: What?

MN: Chinese or Korean people.

HM: No, I didn't. Women, there were some Kibei Nisei women too, but they were separated from men. There was one girl about sixteen years old or so from Kumamoto Prefecture, and she was very pretty. About sixteen years old. When I came over, came on Asama Maru, and we stopped by Hawaii. Sightseeing in Hawaii, that was fun.

MN: How many days did you spend in Hawaii?

HM: We went to Hawaii but didn't stay at a hotel. We all stayed on the ship. We spent one night there. We went out in a group of about five people, all at about the same age to look around. The girl from the Kumamoto was there too. When we were walking around, we noticed a weird looking guy was following us. Hey, he looks suspicious. He is after us, following us around. I looked back and saw this guy walking behind us. A strange guy, and he was trying to trick us and steal our money. We thought that was dangerous and didn't do anything in Hawaii.

MN: Going back to San Francisco, from Angel Island, you went through the immigration, your father's cousin came to pick you up, he took you to San Leandro, and then what did you do there?

HM: Farmer. Agriculture. They had three children.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.