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MN: And so you and your brother were born in El Centro hospital, and you were living in Brawley, California.

IH: Yes, uh-huh.

MN: And then you moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Do you know why your father decided to go to Phoenix?

IH: Again, I think it's because of business opportunities. He started as Valley Seed Company in Phoenix, because there was a lot of Japanese, small Japanese truck farmers, vegetable growers. And that was his customer base.

MN: Do you know how your father came with the name Valley Seed Company?

IH: I don't know.

MN: What sort of seeds was your father selling?

IH: Well, primarily vegetables, the ones they were growing, carrots, tomatoes, squash, the usual crops that they grew. They did quite well.

MN: So your father didn't sell Japanese vegetable seeds?

IH: He did. Very limited amount, because that wasn't really the marketing vegetables for a farmer to make. Yeah, he did sell the usual daikon and napa and nasu and so forth.

MN: Now, I understand you started kindergarten in Phoenix. Do you remember the school's name?

IH: Yes, it was Kennelworth.

MN: And what was the ethnic makeup of this kindergarten?

IH: I really don't know. Probably generally Caucasians.

MN: And when you were in Phoenix, I know you were very young, but who were your playmates?

IH: There was a little girl next door, her name was Yoshiga. Her father had a garage right next door, and she was our playmate, about our age.

MN: Now how long did your family live in Phoenix?

IH: Well, I think it only lasted for... let's see, I'd have to do the calculations. Probably about five or six years.

MN: And then from Phoenix, your family moved to El Monte, California.

IH: That's correct.

MN: Do you know, again, why he moved to El Monte? I know you were very young.

IH: Yeah, again, he opened a business there. I don't know why he changed the site of his business, but maybe business was a better thing to open in the El Monte area.

MN: Now, actually, when you first came over, you lived in Rosemead, not in El Monte, right?

IH: Yeah, just for a couple of years. At that point, he didn't actually have a store. He mostly was a traveling salesman.

MN: And then you moved to El Monte, and then that's when your father was able to open another seed store?

IH: Yes.

MN: What did he call the seed store?

IH: Valley Seed Company.

MN: And where was this store located?

IH: Right on Valley Boulevard, right in the heart of El Monte.

MN: So right in the city then.

IH: Yeah, right within the city limits.

MN: And where did you live? Where did the family life?

IH: We lived in a rented house behind, next door, but in the back of another house. So the landlord, we rented that from them.

MN: Now, for your father's seed supplies, where was he getting the seeds?

IH: Oh, major seed companies like Ferry-Morse, Germaine, I forget a couple of the others, but I think primarily from the Ferry-Morse seed company.

MN: And then you mentioned that he also had a little bit of the Japanese vegetable seeds?

IH: Yes, he did.

MN: Do you know where he got those seeds from? IH: I think he got some of those from the Kitagawa Seed Company maybe, if it were in existence at that time.

MN: And did your family have a little Japanese vegetable garden at home?

IH: No, we didn't have the space.

MN: And I think it was here that your sister was born, is that right?

IH: Yes.

MN: What year was she born?

IH: Let's see, so I think it's 1936. She's eight years, so it would be, yeah, '36.

MN: Was she delivered at home?

IH: No. Hospital, as I recall.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.