Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Frank Hiratsuka Interview
Narrator: Frank Hiratsuka
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Skokie, Illinois
Date: June 15, 2011
Densho ID: denshovh-hfrank_2-01-0003

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TI: So I'm curious about the interactions between -- your father was born in the United States, during this time there were still a lot of men from Japan who were arriving in the San Jose area -- I'm just curious in terms of the interaction between your father and the more recent Japanese immigrants. Did you see him do much with Japanese immigrants when you were growing up?

FH: No.

TI: And so who were his friends? Did, were they other Niseis, or...

FH: There weren't too many because he was busy working all the time, so he didn't have a, much of a social life, I don't think.

TI: And so you can't recall any, like parties or anything that he did?

FH: No, not really.

TI: Or picnics? Did you guys go --

FH: Well, they used to go to the Japanese picnics. Everybody, they used to have 'em once a year. I think every community had one somewhere.

TI: And when you think about the picnics, who did your parents sort of socialize with? Were they more with Isseis or Niseis?

FH: Family.

TI: Oh, families. That's right, because of all their siblings and... okay. So let's go back now and talk more about you in terms of some of your childhood memories.

FH: All I remember is I went to a lot of different schools because the family moved a lot.

TI: So explain why your family moved a lot.

FH: Well, they changed jobs. I know he first, the first job he had, I think, was in Palo Alto, 'cause that's where I remember going to grammar school first. I think it was, Litton School, I think, was the grammar school in Palo Alto. From there we went, from there, let me check my notes. Excuse me. I put down the list of schools. I have to read this, if I can read this. Litton School was in Palo Alto, and then I went to San Jose and I think it was Horace Mann Grammar School, and then, that was in San Jose. That's when I stayed with my grandparents for a while.

TI: This was on your mother's side, your mother's parents?

FH: Yeah, my mother's parents. Then they got another job in Piedmont, and so I went to Piedmont Grammar School in Piedmont, California. And then from there went to Piedmont Junior High School, and then we went to, got pulled into camp.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.