<Begin Segment 26>

MN: So you got into Greeley, Colorado, and so what did you do once you got into Greeley?

TY: Well, what did we do? Let's see, we'd scout around, look around. We, prior to setting down, settled down or just all through the life?

MN: Just when you got there, initially.

TY: Well, we went to our home, promised home, then we had to clean up, and then we moved all our stuff in there, and then we waited for our freight car with all our equipment on. We waited for that, which never arrived for some reason. And then, that was April so we just --

MN: Where did they tell you that the boxcar went?

TY: They told us it went to Boston, Massachusetts. And I don't know whether it was, they were lying to us or, or whether they, they got mixed up on the hook up or whatever, whether the railroad company was prejudiced to us or not. I really don't know. But then I went to the railroad station and told 'em that it's supposed to be at a certain spur track and then it's not there, so they told us to go look at it again, so we went to look at it again, it wasn't there. So then I said, well, we have all our, all our personal things and equipment in there, so when will, when will it arrive over here? Then first they say that they have to look up to see where it was, has gone or went, the destination. I told 'em our destination was in Greeley, Colorado, where they told us it's gonna be on a certain spur track over there, so it's not there so that's where I want it. Then after five days they brought it. Took us five days, man, I'm telling you, whether that was done prejudicial or whatever, mistake or whatever. We didn't complain. So that's what happened, Nancy -- Martha, rather, excuse me.

MN: Were there other Japanese Americans living in Greeley at the time?

TY: Japanese Americans? Californians or Coloradans?

MN: Both.

TY: Why, there was quite a few Japanese there, yeah.

MN: Were they mostly Coloradans?

TY: Coloradans, yeah. Let's see, after we went there, about a year later we met some Californians. They got out of camp to their friend's place or their relative's place, and we met some from, people from Washington, we met some people from Marysville, we met some people from Salinas, gradually met 'em as we got around. Go dancing, roller skating, "Where you from? Where you from?" That's how we met 'em. And so there wasn't that much Californians there, but there were a bunch of dumb Coloradans there. They thought they were king because they were in the JACL or whatever. And we started going to Buddhist, Buddhist sermons and talks here and there in different houses, and that's how we met more people.

MN: You started the YBA there, right?

TY: Yeah, I was in, I wasn't a member of the YBA, but I went to a lot of YBA activities, like they had a big conference in Denver which we went, kind of interesting, and met some Wyoming girls and Utah girls.

MN: Now, did your younger brother start high school in Kersey?

TY: Yeah.

MN: How long did he last there?

TY: One day. [Laughs] I forgot what grade he was. He was in high school, maybe, maybe he was sophomore or something. I really don't know. I don't recall, but he said, well, I guess I better keep my schooling going, so he went to high school to register as a student, then he registered, came home, and then the following day he went to the class. And he had to go benjo, bathroom, and he went to the bathroom and he saw a fence over there. The bathroom was downstairs because Colorado gets cold, water freezes and all that, downstairs, so he opened the door and then he says there's a fence on the stairway going to the bathroom, to the latrine. He said, what's that for? So he asked the guys, said, "Look at the sign up there." It said blacks only and American here, so he says, that's funny. He said, "Man, they're sure prejudiced against the blacks over there." He says, "The hell with it, I'm not gonna go to that kind of school," so he just quit, quit the high school there and then he, what happened, he went to another school. It was the same way. He went to Kuner -- that was next town over -- so it was the same way, so he wanted to finish his education so he went anyway, but he said, "I don't believe it." Who would believe that kind of thing in California? California never did have such a thing like that. He just came home, stayed home one week, said, "I'm not gonna go to the damn school no more." [Laughs]

<End Segment 26> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.