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SY: Today is August 24, 2011, and we're at the Centenary United Methodist Church in Los Angeles and we're talking to Mary Karatsu. I'm Sharon Yamato and Tani Ikeda is the videographer. So, Mary, let's start with talking a little bit about where your parents were from.

MK: My parents emigrated from Okinawa, Japan, many years ago. Do you want to hear about what happened? Where we settled and everything?

SY: Well, actually I'd like to go back a little and talk a little bit about why your father came to this country. Do you remember, do you know anything about how he came?

MK: Yes, my dad came quite early and was working on the farm. I'm trying to recall some of the things that I had heard in the past. I know my sister has covered this a lot. (...) He was working for this man, Mr. Miyahira (who) said he had a daughter that probably would be a good wife to my father but there was a big age difference. But then seems like my dad always had money and all so I think that he called her over and they got married.

SY: And so that's how your mother came here?

MK: That's how my mother came here.

SY: And your father's name was?

MK: Kamehachi Tamaki.

SY: And your mother's name?

MK: Hana.

SY: So she did not know him at all when they were in Okinawa?

MK: No, word of mouth I guess from her father.

SY: I see and she didn't even know the person that sort of arranged the marriage, his friend that he was working with, right?

MK: No, that was the father, my grandfather I guess it would be, and that was his daughter that he was giving to my dad.

SY: Right, okay so your mother came over... your father never went back to Okinawa to meet her? She just came here?

MK: Yeah, she came.

SY: Came here and they were married here.

MK: I guess there were several that came at that the same time.

SY: I see. So then when they came here they both worked as farmers?

MK: Well, at that time (due to) the alien land laws back in 1912, Japanese could not own land. So they leased ten, fifteen acres out in Covina and so it was like a truck farm where they (grew) vegetables and then every evening I guess they call it truck farming because the truck would come and pick it up and take it to the market.

SY: Right, so he basically settled in a certain area and then started having a family?

MK: Right.

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