<Begin Segment 11>

TI: But you mentioned your mother and her encouragement to not only volunteer originally and then to go back to Japan. When, when did she die?

SK: Oh, she died while I was gone. But to her -- her best, most lasting, and top accomplishment in life was the fact that she was retired and is buried as an American naturalized citizen. She got her citizenship after World War II.

TI: Tell me about that. That must have been important to her.

SK: Yes, because many leading Issei from Spokane joined her in applying for citizenship, based on the fact that we had proved our loyalty to this country, you see -- World War II. Not only in the Pacific, but also in Europe through, 442nd. And I'm assigned to the 441st -- that's why I said 441st. But 442nd in Europe, and there was those of us in the Pacific had proved through our blood and our guts -- with many lives lost or disabled for life, like myself -- that, that this is our country, just as it is for anybody else. And that just like somebody said, "Americanism is not a matter of what color you are or how your eyes slant, but it's what's inside your heart." And as I say, my mother accomplished her greatest achievement when she got her citizenship. And she's buried in Spokane as an American citizen.

TI: Did she ever tell you how proud she was of you?

SK: No -- but see, I can tell by the fact that, that she urged me to go in the first place, in World War II. Two days after Pearl Harbor, an Issei telling me, "This is your country. You should go fight for your country." And I know that she had the support of, of several Issei friends in Spokane, who felt the same way, although their kids were being sent to Europe to fight for -- with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Because I'm the only one (from Spokane) that I know of who went out into the Pacific. In some cases, it resulted in my mother getting ostracized by other Issei who didn't agree with her outlook. Now, if I had gone to Europe, it would have been all right, as long as I didn't go fight Japan in the Pacific, you see.

TI: Oh. So there was additional pressure. I know...

SK: Oh, yeah.

TI: ...there was pressure on the Issei, just to have their sons fight, or join the U.S. Army...

SK: That's right.

TI: ...and most of the Nisei -- correct, went to Europe. But there was additional pressure on those whose sons fought against Japan?

SK: That's right. And then, and then to the Issei family and their family -- Nisei families in Spokane area, all gathered in Spokane waiting for the evacuation order that never came. They lived out of suitcases throughout World War II. So you can imagine the, the pressure on the shoulders of these Issei in Spokane area, many of whom were (in) Spokane to be with friends, so they could be with their friends when they were evacuated to wherever they were going to be sent.

TI: Right.

SK: So they just kept on waiting and waiting. Like my first wife's family in Pasco. They moved, sold their restaurant, got rid of all their belongings and moved to Spokane, just because one of their members of their family, who lived on the other side of the Columbia River in Kennewick, were forced to evacuate and be sent to a relocation camp.

TI: Yeah. That's interesting.

SK: So they said, "Well, we're next. So we better sell our stuff and, and move to Spokane to be with our friends in Spokane." So they did. And waited for the orders that never came.

TI: Yeah. Going back to this, this -- sometimes this pressure, or being ostracized that your mother felt, did she ever tell you...?

SK: No, no.

TI: ...what people said to her, or...

SK: No.

TI: How did you -- how do you know that she was ostracized?

SK: Because, for example, there is certain Issei group that got together and made cookies, and sent cookies to Europe, to their sons fighting in Europe. I never got one in the Pacific. That, that hurt. And I know that my mother realized that at the same time, because she was an Issei. She never expressed anything like that out loud to me, but... so to her, it was a triumphant time for her to realize that, that the U.S. government trusted me so much that they wanted my services again, to go help General MacArthur in Japan. Because all she said was -- she smiled and said, "You go because General MacArthur needs you again. You go." I think she was fully vindicated.

TI: Yes. That's interesting.

<End Segment 11> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.