<Begin Segment 23>

MN: So now after you returned to Los Angeles, what did you do?

BS: What did I do? Oh, I went to school, yeah. So now, I was planning to go UCLA, but I had too many friends at UCLA, and I says, I won't study. Plus, I always wanted to go USC but I couldn't afford it, but now I had the GI Bill to help me. So I went to USC because that's where I really wanted to go in the first place, because my dad went there, so I wanted to go there. So I went there under the GI Bill.

MN: So at that time, you knew that your father had gone to USC.

BS: Yes.

MN: You know, so you're a second generation USC, and I always understand it's easier for alumni to get in, if alumni have kids, it's easier for them to get in. Did you feel any favoritism?

BS: No, other than because of the GI Bill I thought I'd get in. But along that line, when my son was going, he went to SC and we asked for a scholarship. During the registration time there's many so-called tables or booths, "Apply for this scholarship," so we went. It said, "minority scholarship," so we went there. They said, "No, you're not minority." I said, "We're not minority?" They said, "No, for academic purposes, you're not, Japanese is not minority." So we couldn't get the scholarship. So that was an eye-opener. I found out that Japanese were not a minority, but in general public we are, but for scholastic-wise, no. Then I understand today, they have programs for two generations, they had favoritism. In my days I don't think they had that.

MN: And then you went to USC and then you got married also, right?

BS: Yes. We had what we called... we couldn't have fraternities and sororities that time, so we had the Nisei Trojan Club. So all the Japanese Americans who were members of the Nisei Trojan Club, and somehow I got elected to be president, and my secretary happened to be my future wife. [Laughs] So we got married. In fact, we got married on campus at the University Christian Church, Methodist church.

MN: And then you got your teaching credential?

BS: No.

MN: No?

BS: No. Actually, I graduated in business, business administration. And then I went into the grocery business, but I figured, well, after a few years, I figured I won't make my billions there, so I went back to school, got my credential, and I started teaching.

MN: Where did you teach at?

BS: Excuse me?

MN: Where did you teach at?

BS: Oh, in East Los Angeles called Riggin Elementary. But while I was there, my principal was Mr. Morris Hamasaki, and he passed away when he was principal. So the community wanted to change the school's name. So they petitioned to the school board, and now it's called Morris Hamasaki Elementary School. Only Japanese surname school in Los Angeles City.

MN: So now, before you became a teacher, you said you were working in the grocery business, and then you shared about how you were... is it the Belvedere Optimist Club?

BS: Yes. I was in the Belvedere Optimist Club because it was in East Los Angeles, and it happened to be all Hispanic people other than one other Japanese that worked together with me. So we were two Japanese in there, Japanese Americans, all the rest were Hispanic or Mexicans. So we got to know the businesspeople in East Los Angeles. So that's where the ever-famous Tepeyac restaurant, Manuel Rojas was a member of the Optimists Club, so I started going there. At that time, fifty years ago, it wasn't very busy. In fact, on weekends, the produce man comes on a vegetable truck and sells him the vegetables off his truck. And it was so slow that they were playing cards there on Saturday morning. But now, you're lucky to get a place to eat Saturday morning there.

MN: Why didn't you join the Japanese American Optimists Club?

BS: Because it was more for business-wise. Because the grocery store I was working in at Brooklyn and Ford Market intersection of Brooklyn and Ford Street, and businesses all around there were Mexican or Hispanic, and they had the optimist club there. So for business purposes, I joined them so we'd get them to shop at our place, and we'd go shopping at their place.

<End Segment 23> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.