<Begin Segment 12>

TI: So going back to Poston, something that I hear a lot about for people who were at Poston was the heat. It was really hot.

FH: Yes.

TI: So what did, what were some of the things that you did to...

FH: Well, we got a fan, and then you put wet towels over that, and the fan pulls the air in from the outside and the wet towels help cool it off a little. That's about all you could do. You couldn't have an air conditioner. I don't think there were too many around, anyway.

TI: I think some people even dug underneath their barracks so that there was a little cooler space underneath the barracks. Did you see any of that or hear about that?

FH: No, not with the scorpions around. I don't think anybody went underground.

TI: Other memories at Poston, what about, like school? What was school like?

FH: It was, like smaller classrooms, and you had students that were teaching, that were capable, or that had the course, and they'd teach. We had some teachers, full blown teachers, but a lot of 'em weren't. There were just some that were pretty well far in advance to something and then they could teach the courses.

TI: And were theses students who were older or just, like, in your same class?

FH: No, no. College students.

TI: I see. Okay. And how would you compare the education you were getting at Poston with, say, the education you got at Piedmont?

FH: I would say not quite as good. But depended on the students. The students do, if they're motivated then they do, the teacher helps them a lot.

TI: As we were talking about your life it struck me that, even though you were in the Bay Area, you didn't have that much contact with the Japanese community. It was pretty much just the family. Now that you're in a place where there are thousands of Japanese and Japanese Americans and that's all you see, so it must've been quite a contrast for you.

FH: Oh, it was different, yeah.

TI: Different. And so how did that, how was that for you? What...

FH: I think it was fine. I think I sort of half enjoyed the meeting and got some friends that were close at this time because we were there all the time.

TI: Now, when you say you got closer, so part of it was you had more time. I mean, you there longer. Did it also help that they were also Japanese? Did that matter to you in terms of, maybe friendships or comfort?

FH: No, that didn't matter. Mattered that you were able to establish a friendship with somebody for a while rather than just for a short time and got to know someone. Like one fellow I know that I was pretty close with was a (Sho Miyamoto). He was in the same block, but he's from Reedley. But he used to play saxophone, so we got that connection together too.

TI: So that music, just playing together.

FH: Yeah.

TI: Now, would you guys practice together, like outside, or where would you guys practice?

FH: No, they had a little, like a small rec room, at the end of one of the barracks they'd have a room and we were able to practice there.

TI: Now, during this time period at Poston, what were your parents doing?

FH: They were working.

TI: And what jobs did they have?

FH: My dad worked for the administrator, Burge. So he was like a chauffeur and assistant. And my mother worked in the kitchen. Lot of women worked in the kitchen.

TI: And with their free time, what kind of things did they do? So after work or on weekends, what type of stuff would they do?

FH: They'd go talk to each other. They didn't go play cards or anything. I don't know what.

TI: How about physical activities, because they, earlier you mentioned how they liked to play tennis?

FH: No, there was none of that. It was pretty warm. That's not the place to play tennis, in the summer.

<End Segment 12> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.