Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Emi Somekawa Interview
Narrator: Emi Somekawa
Interviewer: Tom Ikeda
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: November 21, 2011
Densho ID: denshovh-semi-01-0001

<Begin Segment 1>

TI: And Emi, the way I start these is just to mention the date and where we are, then I'll get going, so today is November 21, 2011. It's Monday. We're in Seattle, in the Densho studio, and this morning we have Emi Somekawa. So Emi, I'm gonna ask, the first question is just tell me where and when you were born.

ES: I was born in Portland, Oregon, May 10, 1918.

TI: So that would make you, I guess today, ninety-three years old?

ES: Yes.

TI: And when you were born in Portland were you born in a medical facility or a home? Can you...

ES: It was a midwife that my mother had at home.

TI: And what was the name given to you at birth?

ES: Emiko.

TI: And your, your maiden name is?

ES: Emi, Emiko Yada.

TI: Yada. Good. So you mentioned your mother, so let's start with her. What was your mother's name?

ES: Hatsuno.

TI: And where was she from in, from Japan?

ES: She was from Okayama, Japan.

TI: And do you know anything more in terms of, like, where in Okayama?

ES: It was a farming area where her parents farmed, and they still have that farm. They, my aunt still lives there. That's the only relative that I have who lives in Japan on the homestead.

TI: Interesting. So how many generations does that, do you know in terms of how long the land has been in the family?

ES: Well, I don't know too much more about my grandparents. They lived there and farmed, but some, something that made my grandfather want to come to America to raise his family, and of course at that time they thought that America was a place where they have lots of money and easy to get some money, and so come to America, get some money and come back. They did come back a couple of times, so the family is split.

TI: Yeah, so let me ask a little bit more about your, this is your mother's father, your grandfather.

ES: Yes.

TI: So he came to the United States to make money. Do you know about when he came to the United States and where he went?

ES: Let's see, he came to America in, well, it was, my father was born, my father was born in 1888 and I don't know too much about my grandparents.

TI: But on your mother's side, so she's a little bit younger than your father.

ES: Yes.

TI: So she was probably born about 1995?

ES: '97.

TI: '97? Or 1897. And so did your mother's father, your grandfather on your mother's side, did he come to the United States before your mother was born or after your mother?

ES: No, after. There were two children born to the family in Japan, and that's when my mother was left with her aunt in Japan and brought only the one son. And then so there were, as far as I know, two children who were born in America before they came back to Japan again.

TI: But your mother was in Japan when this was happening.

ES: Yes. But my mother did not come to America until she was fourteen, and at that time my grandparents were more settled in America and so they thought that she should come to America to learn English. And she had been through the grade school in Japan.

TI: And where were your grandparents living when they, you said settled in America, where did they settle?

ES: Well, they settled in Parkrose area in, there's a little community outside of Portland and they farmed there.

TI: Okay. And so they lived in this area, they had your, I guess he'd be your uncle who was born in Japan, he came with them, then two more...

ES: Children were born here in America.

TI: Kids. Good, and then your mother at fourteen then came and joined them. So they have a family of four children and two adults.

ES: Well there, actually my mother is, has eight children in her siblings. There are eight of them, so half of them are born in America and half of 'em are born in Japan.

TI: Okay, so big family.

ES: Yes.

TI: And they're, and so she's fourteen so I'm curious, how does she meet your father?

ES: Baishakunin. They --

TI: Okay, before we even talk about that, let's talk about your father first, so what was your father's name?

ES: Misao. M-I-S-A-O.

TI: And where was, where was he from in Japan?

ES: Okayama.

TI: Okay, so close by your mother's...

ES: Yes.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright &copy; 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.