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KN: Besides the Okinawan community, if you don't mind me mentioning this, you also showed me that there was a reunion book that you showed me for Japanese Peruvians?
MY: Oh, right, right.
KN: So what kind of community is that here in Hawaii? Is it a large community? Do you folks get together, are there reunions?
MY: Well, actually, it's a small community. But we have a reunion, this was, now we go to every four years -- two years, I'm sorry, two years. And we're having it this year over at San Francisco. And it's Peruvians that were incarcerated in Crystal City, Texas. And most of them kind of passed away, so it's more the second generation, but we just get together and maintain, well, fellowship, and see what we can do for others to have whatever... what do you call, like Grace Shimizu, she got her story to tell. But I'm sure, sooner or later... not sooner or later, but someday, the younger generation, I hope they'll remember what we did or what we went through. Like I said, so it doesn't happen again.
KN: So how many families are there now that come to these reunions? I'm thinking, I mean, it's been years. How many people do you approximately see at these?
MY: About fifty, at least fifty. And it's bigger, getting bigger each year.
KN: These are people that come from different places, Hawaii...
MY: Yeah, interesting. Yeah, from Okinawa, from Japan, mainland Japan, of course, mainland USA, and from Peru. That's it. Nobody from Africa. [Laughs]
KN: At this point, before I ask if Brian has any questions, is there anything that you want to share that maybe we haven't touched on or you'd like to bring up for future generations or maybe your family members, or just to say just for yourself at this point?
MY: Only thing... only thing is maybe attitude. Your attitude about life, thinking positive. We all go through hard times in life, but looking at the positive result, I mean, what can come out of it. Like, okay, for example, raising pigs wasn't fun, but I think it developed a lot of character in me and kept me humble. I mean, humble not by, not by choice, you know what I mean? It's just, can't help it. But attitude and kids' education is very important, travel.
KN: What are some of the best places you've been to? How many times have you been to Japan?
MY: Only sixty-nine times. [Laughs] But going to... funny, when you're young, you love to go to so-called "third world" countries. But as you get older, you like to go to nicer parts in the world. But that's all part of learning. So I think traveling is very important for young people.
KN: What's the best place you've been?
MY: Outside of Hawaii?
KN: Where is the best place? You've told me so many of these amazing travel stories.
MY: Well, places that's very different. I would say it was Machu Picchu, very spiritual, and very opulence to the max would be Dubai, and of course Europe, Italy, spent a month there, one whole month. The arts, like Venice, and you just, Europe is exciting.
KN: And it inspires your work.
MY: Right. And Japan is sort of, it's a different feeling. Not totally opposite, but it compliments Europe.
KN: Have you been back to your family's hometown in Okinawa?
MY: This last year, October, went there again. And kind of pictured myself running around there, but I'd rather run around here on Kauai.
KN: How come? I've never been to Okinawa.
MY: No, it's really, I would encourage or tell everybody to go to Okinawa. You got to see, it's similar to Hawaii, but people are, somebody when you look at them, they could pass for somebody's uncle or somebody's cousin. They look like very Hawaii people, local people. And very aloha spirit, or you could call it the Okinawan spirit.
<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.