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SY: And do you know much about family or grandparents?

CI: My mother... let's see. My grandfather lived with us until 19... I would say probably 1940 when he died. But he lived with us as did (my aunt), the youngest of (his) three daughters. The middle daughter, Aunt Irene, was married and was living in Los Angeles. My grandfather that I know of was a contractor. He (to be a contract) I think, and was quite successful in Japan and then he I think lost his fortune and that's the reason he came to the United States.

SY: I see. And was he one who came by himself to the United States?

CI: Oh, no, he came with his wife.

SY: Oh, so both.

CI: My grandmother.

SY: And they were both from the same area?

CI: No. My grandfather was from Hiroshima and Asa-gun. And my grandmother was from Fukuoka. I'm not quite sure about where in Fukuoka.

SY: And did you know your grandmother?

CI: No.

SY: No.

CI: Because she died when I was (one), she died the same year as my father did.

SY: Your grandmother? Oh, that must have been tough on your mother.

CI: Yes.

SY: Her mother and husband died in the same year. That's amazing. And then your mother, the three of them, she had two sisters, right? So the three of them were all born in the United States.

CI: Yes.

SY: And she was the middle one?

CI: No, she was the oldest.

SY: She was the oldest.

CI: And I think they used to live next door to missionaries, and so consequently, when the girls were born, they were all given American names. So my mother is Pauline, then I had an Aunt Irene and Eleanor. (...) I don't think they were nuns. I think they were just missionaries. They named the girls.

SY: Do you remember your grandparents being religious or Christian?

CI: No, my grandparents... my grandfather was Tenrikyo, so I do remember that. I don't know about my grandmother.

SY: Okay, you're going to have to tell me what that means.

CI: Tenrikyo is the Shinto.

SY: Kind of a priest.

CI: Well, it's a sect.

SY: Oh, I see. It's a sect of the Shinto Buddhist religion?

CI: Yeah. I know that my brother Paul and I used to go with my grandfather to the temple. The temple was a house, and we used to go with Grandpa. But my mother was Buddhist. And so we used to go to the Buddhist church later, but my father, the one that died, was a Christian. And so we used to go to the Baptist church in Sacramento.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright &copy; 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.