<Begin Segment 30>

SY: And your children never complained, or handled it well? They didn't...

PM: They never had me around, so whatever they did in school they did it on, themselves. Whatever they learned they really learned themselves. I've had many moments of sadness because, like Gary had invited a gal for the prom and at the last minute she backed out. She happened to be Caucasian, and so her parents took her away so that she wouldn't go out with him, so he turned around and asked the girl that he knew would go with him, but he had many problems. He came home and said, "Mom, it was so sad because I got a ticket coming home." And also during the dance they knew each other so well that they didn't talk, and also he said, "And the corsage, it just wilted." And he says, "And I even had put it in the freezer to keep it fresh." I was so sad to hear. Of course it would wilt, right? [Laughs] So things like that, I wasn't around to help them.

SY: I see.

PM: But they lived through it, but I'm beginning to hear some comments now.

SY: Are you? They're, they're getting back at you. [Laughs]

PM: Yes. [Laughs]

SY: Because, yeah, so it is interesting to me that they, well, Gary's very close in age to me.

PM: Right.

SY: So he's how old now?

PM: Sixty.

SY: Sixty. Wow, he just turned sixty. So he had gone through a little of the same little prejudice, prejudicial things when he was growing up too.

PM: Right.

SY: But not so much Joanne, your daughter? She was two years younger?

PM: Yes. No, one year.

SY: One year younger, so she, she didn't have this...

PM: She was more a very casual person, and many things didn't bother her like it did, it bothered Gary, so they were just different personalities.

SY: I see, I see. Yeah, that's, that is interesting. I never thought about the fact that you were gone so much. But being a businesswoman is very difficult, right? I mean, you were probably one of the very few when you were in business, when you were starting your business, that was female, that was a woman, right?

PM: Maybe so. I just never thought about it that way.

SY: You never thought about it.

PM: No.

SY: Because in Little Tokyo there probably weren't that many women running businesses.

PM: As far as, I didn't really check, but yes. But Joanne felt it. She learned to sew all by herself. She learned many things all by herself because I wasn't there, so we have some moments that we knew she was sad as well. But we lived through.

SY: Yeah, it is pretty amazing, Peggy, that you've been in the same business for this many years and managed to...

PM: Right.

SY: Because you're, you are still working.

PM: Yes, yes. I'm still enjoying it.

SY: And how many times do you go during the year?

PM: Well, next year I already have four tours to Japan planned, and then probably a couple of tours in between to other places. I have one cruise to Hawaii.

SY: Wow.

PM: But I enjoy it, taking care of people. It's not any fun by myself, but if I have some people I can take care of.

SY: [Laughs] That's the joy you get from it, is the taking care of them.

PM: Yes. Right, right.

SY: Really?

PM: That's the way that Dad was. He loved to take care of people.

SY: Because, but you get rewarded in them being nice back.

PM: I get rewarded because they enjoyed it, yes.

SY: Because they enjoyed it. So that's, that's the reward you feel.

PM: Yes, yes.

SY: Really? So that's the, that's an interesting way of seeing your work.

PM: You have to enjoy your work or you can't go to work.

SY: Right.

<End Segment 30> - Copyright &copy; 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.