<Begin Segment 14>

SY: And did you have your enterprising side? Were you interested in other things?

FK: Well, yes, because I feel that parents... part of educating their children, teaching children facts of life that they had to learn how to earn money. I never knew how to earn money because I was given an allowance when I needed, so it wasn't a weekly or anything like that. And I'd go there almost begging with two hands out and say, "I'd like to go to a movie so can I have a quarter?" And then he would give it to me. So I grew up not working, I was working but I never got paid so I believe a child should not get an allowance. I'm hundred percent against children getting... that's the opposite, that's socialism, for nothing, you get money for nothing and you get used to that. So I said, "Well, wait a minute, I want to have to earn my own money outside," so I went to the Rafu Shimpo and I got a job delivering newspaper. So I delivered for Akira Komai for maybe a couple of years.

SY: And what happened? Why did you stop delivering the paper?

FK: Well, I was in high school, I just started high school and I think the main reason was that while I was getting paid I think something like sixteen dollars a month for delivering... my route was the biggest, it was the Little Tokyo route, so I had to go in and out and up and down the hotel rooms and so forth and Christmas was the best because I would get tips and so forth. And I remember the first paycheck that I got, I brought it home and I said now this is my money I can do whatever I want, and then my mother threw a curve at me. She said, "Frank, if you give me that money, for every dollar you put in the bank I'll match it." So I says, "Okay," that sounded pretty good, but it was in the bank and I can't touch it, so after I agreed to it I'm back to base one again, I had no money in my pocket. Then I had to go ask my dad.

SY: So your mother made you save all that money?

FK: She did, she's a good saver.

SY: And then you started another?

FK: Well, I thought if I'm going to walk the same path, so I'll go see the competitive newspaper, Shin Nichi Bei and I was delivering their paper so I delivered Rafu Shimpo, Shin Nichi Bei and there was another one-sheeter that was called the Town Crier. (...)

SY: You were the all-around newspaper person?

FK: Yes, I was doing that and then Mr. Komai says, "Frank you're a Rafu Shimpo delivery boy so you just deliver Rafu Shimpo," and so I had to quit the other two.

SY: He didn't want you delivering his competitors?

FK: I don't know why.

SY: But you thought it was a good idea?

FK: Well, sure, if you're going to walk the same path then you can earn maybe twice as much well why not? I found that everybody doesn't agree with my philosophy.

SY: I'm really amazed you seem to have developed this whole sense of business or how to make more money.

FK: I don't know, I think all young boys or most of them would because weekends they need money... of course, there again, most of them received allowances so they had... it was not too many like me that had to beg for my allowance and it made me feel bad actually. Almost like stealing money from your parents and so it was --

SY: But at the same time you must have been working? You believe in hard work too.

FK: Well, work never... once I made up my mind that okay I came home from school and I got to work it never bothered me now why am I doing this or my friends are outside, it never occurred to me. Once I got to work my job was work and my concentration was there so it never bothered me once I started.

SY: You had to do this paper delivery in the early morning?

FK: No, it's in the afternoon.

SY: So you got out of the kamaboko business.

FK: Well, but it takes only a couple hours.

SY: And then you went back to helping.

FK: Yeah, whatever I had to do.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.