Densho Digital Archive - Marshall M. Sumida Interview (denshovh-smarshall-01-0006)

<Begin Segment 6>

MN: Now, you attended Hollenbeck Junior High School.

MS: Yeah.

MN: And then Roosevelt High School.

MS: Right.

MN: At, in high school, what sports did you get involved in?

MS: I played golf.

MN: Was golf popular with the Nisei?

MS: No. There was only a couple of us whose father played that, but every time we had a chance to go play golf we'd cut class and go to Montebello Golf Course. And this three of us and a fourth guy who had graduated high school but he used to, he was a gardener, and he used to come and play with us. Ajioka, the other guy.

MN: How did you get interested in golf?

MS: I was, my father played so I caddied for him.

MN: Who did your father play with?

MS: Other Issei, Kaz Hori's father. And there was a, in those days they had a Japanese, several Japanese golf clubs, Yojioki, and a few, my father belonged to all of them. I like golf.

MN: Did you experience discrimination on the golf course?

MS: I guess they did, but we managed to play as long as we can pay the fee, so it was business for them.

MN: Now, most Nisei boys were playing football or baseball, not --

MS: Basketball, yeah.

MN: So did you get teased at all for playing golf?

MS: What?

MN: Did you get teased? Did you get picked on for playing golf?

MS: No, not teased, but, I wouldn't say I was teased, but we, they made fun of us and we, but after we all grew up every one of the guys that made fun of us, they thought we're lucky we learned how to play golf early. In fact, some of our friends from school days in L.A. still play golf yet. Yas Tanaka is.

MN: Now, sports like golf and kendo are very expensive because you have to buy equipment.

MS: But my father had a store, so he sold it. But I didn't get the best, we got the ones that he couldn't sell. [Laughs] But the Japanese, they always wanted to buy the best equipment, so with all, we got the worst my father, the goods that he couldn't sell. We'd get 'em. But that's alright to me. At that time I didn't know good or bad or anything else, so we were thankful for whatever we, they were willing to give us.