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TI: So I always start this with the date and where we are, so today's Wednesday, June 15, 2011. We're in the Chicago area in the Hampton Inn in Skokie. And on camera is Dana Hoshide and I'm the interviewer Tom Ikeda. And we're here today with Betty Tanakatsubo. So Betty, I guess the first question is, just tell me when and where you were born.

BT: I was born in Sacramento, California, and you want the... well, you have my age so --

TI: Go ahead and give us your birthday.

BT: June 15th, which is today, 1925, I was born in.

TI: Sacramento.

BT: Sacramento.

TI: So I guess I'll start by saying happy birthday.

BT: Yes. [Laughs]

TI: And you're by my math eighty-six years old, and again you're just in remarkable condition.

BT: Oh, thank you for that compliment.

TI: And so Betty, when you were born what was the name given to you at birth?

BT: My Japanese name was Tsuyako, T-S-U-Y-A-K-O.

TI: Oh, that's a pretty name, Tsuyako.

BT: Tsuyako. And I had to change as I've gotten older and went to the outside world. A lot of people look at that name and they're afraid to say it. They mispronounce, so I used Betty which was given to me by one of my sisters and I think I was named after... we had a dog, a family dog by the name of Betty. So I was named after the dog. [Laughs]

TI: And how old were you when this happened?

BT: I was... you mean with what?

TI: With Betty, I mean when did you get the name Betty?

BT: I think I must have been about ten or twelve years old.

TI: So this is a new one for me. I finally found someone named after their dog. [Laughs]

BT: Yeah, right. Usually I was named after my uncle or auntie or whatever.

TI: Oh, that's funny.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.