<Begin Segment 4>

TI: And then you had to start school and you're the only Japanese in a class of primarily whites. And you didn't have the language ability.

KY: Yes, exactly.

TI: And that is a fairly common experience with many of the Niseis because their parents spoke Japanese in the home and their first experience with needing to speak English was at school.

KY: Yeah, I think so because I was around the Japanese all the time and not really... I don't remember playing with the neighborhood kids.

TI: Do you recall how well equipped the teacher was to provide sort of English as a second language to you? I mean, was that awkward for her also?

KY: You know, I'm a complete blank. I kind of feel that a sense of maybe I had to overcome this. I mean even as a youngster that you just had to overcome this. That's the feeling that I have but I don't remember anybody that, the teachers helping you with this.

TI: Now as the older sister realizing your younger sister would have to go to school, did you do anything to prepare her for school in terms of English or letting her know that she'll have to learn English?

KY: No, I think maybe as I think back, that I had to overcome this and once perhaps, I don't know, that if I could... there's only fourteen months' difference between my sister and I. And I don't know, she didn't have that difficulty but I did.

TI: She didn't have the difficulty because she had some English or she just --

KY: I don't know.

TI: Okay, so she just doesn't do that.

KY: Whether she saw what I was going through and so I don't know. I've never talked to my sister about that.

TI: I mean in general we find that, at least in interviews I did, that the firstborn usually has the more difficult time. And usually the other siblings catch on that English is going to be needed and somehow they are a little bit more prepared for it.

KY: But see, I can't tell you because but if they could see that nothing really happened to you once you started school then that gives them a sense of relief, yeah, I don't know.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.