<Begin Segment 12>

SY: So talk a little bit about your uncle. Did you have a very kind of... did you have any relationship with him? What was he doing there that he was able to sort of take care of all of you?

MK: He had the New York attitude but then he felt very responsible.

SY: He was close obviously.

MK: He took us to a lot of places. He was very close to us.

SY: And to your mother.

MK: My mother, right.

SY: And was he the only sibling?

MK: No, she had two older sisters that were in South America but my mother and uncle I guess they were the closest in age, so they always kept in touch.

SY: That's great. And did he like oversee anything? Did he make sure you were okay or were you sort of on your own that whole time?

MK: I think we were more or less on our own. I could talk to him and ask him for things and he would always come through financially I know he helped us quite a bit.

SY: And he never worried about you or was concerned?

MK: I guess not. Hopefully he had faith in us. He probably thought well, gosh maybe that's the way they're supposed to be acting.

SY: And the younger ones too never had a behavior problem or school issue... issue with school or when they came over and you had to sort of take care of them?

MK: Well, no, I did feel like a parent I think there for a while to make sure that they did their homework and stuff like that but they were both very good students.

SY: They were really kind of on their own too a little bit?

MK: Yeah, they were.

SY: Because did that deter you from having your own life like going out social events and things like that?

MK: Yeah, that time went fast though I think and I don't regret any of that. It brought our whole family together.

SY: Eventually, right?

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