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MN: 'Cause your mother was one of the kids.

IH: Yeah, one from the first marriage. And so she was the oldest of the three daughters, and she came to the United States. They all came together in early... as I recall it's 1923 or 1924. I understand that it was after the doors were closed, you might say.

MN: The Immigration Act of 1924 closed the doors.

IH: Yeah, but they made some exceptions... in this case, because he was a Christian minister. I'm not sure on that, but I understand that (they) allowed him to bring in his family. So Kameji Komuro came as a minister with his three daughters and his second wife, and then they had other children as well.

MN: So do you know how your mother and your father met in the United States?

IH: I don't know. I can conjecture that my mother, when she first came, I understand she went to work at the Shonien orphanage, which is a Japanese orphanage, because there seemed to be quite a large number of Japanese orphans. So they had the Shonien orphanage in the Silver Lakes area of Los Angeles. And then she, because of her Christian background and my father's Christian background, there might have been a meeting because of, one of the supporters of the Shonien was a gentleman by the name of Nagamine who was quite successful, I understand, later in the produce business. Anyway, I think he might have had something to do with their coming together and marrying. That was in 1927.

MN: So then your parents got married, and then I understand they moved down to Imperial Valley.

IH: Yes.

MN: And that's when the children started to come. And you and your brother were the firstborns, is that right?

IH: That's correct.

MN: You're the (youngest by minutes). It was very unusual because you are twins.

IH: That's right.

MN: When you were growing up, did your brother and yourself get special treatment because you were twins?

IH: Well, we were, it was unusual in the Japanese community down there, so, yeah. I'm not sure it was special, but I know my mother had to have some assistance to raise us, 'cause I guess it was difficult to raise a couple boys.

MN: Now, where were you born?

IH: We were born in El Centro, California, Imperial County, Imperial Valley.

MN: Were you delivered by a sambasan?

IH: No, it was a doctor. According to the birth certificate, a Caucasian doctor, and we were born in a hospital, which I understand was unusual. In those days, most of the kids were raised, were born in homes where they get assistance of a midwife. But my father did have a job as the secretary of the Japanese Association. I don't know if that was a full time job, but he represented a lot of the Japanese community in situations where his language and education were useful in contracts and leases, and anything that required some negotiations using English.

MN: Yeah, I think it was very unusual for people to be bilingual at the time. Both of your parents were bilingual.

IH: Yes, my mother was, also went to missionary school.

MN: I want to go back to your birth. What year were you and your brother born?

IH: 1928.

MN: What is your birth name?

IH: Tasuke, T-A-S-U-K-E, Hatchimonji.

MN: And what about your brother?

IH: Megumi, M-E-G-U-M-I.

MN: And then around what age did you and your brother adopt the name Ike and Mike?

IH: I think in our early years, perhaps third or fourth year in Phoenix, Arizona. The story goes that there was a comic strip in those days, "Ike and Mike and Mustard." And my auntie, who was helping my mother raise us, Auntie Amy, she hung the names on us, Ike and Mike, nicknames. So we've used those names ever since.

MN: And when you first started to speak, what language did you first learn?

IH: English.

MN: So at home, your parents spoke to you in English?

IH: Yes.

MN: And at home, what did they call you? Ike or Tasuke?

IH: I think they called us Ike, called me Ike, Ike and Mike.

MN: And you were, you two were born right before the Great Depression. Did your parents ever share with you some of the difficulties or what effect the Great Depression had on them?

IH: I know they shielded us from the effects. They didn't let us know what difficulties we were having, but later on, I understand it was very difficult for them. It's the same attitude that they had when the war broke out. Somehow, they didn't want to give us bad news.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.