<Begin Segment 14>

TL: If we could go back to early childhood memories, one of the things I was wondering about is... at what point you got the name Vivian as a middle name.

YB: That was in high school. I thought, gee, Yone, maybe I need an American name. But the trouble of it is, that when I did get it I wished I hadn't. Because Japanese can't pronounce V, it turns to a B. And Mama says, "Where in the world did you get that name? Bibien, sounds like baby... Bibien." [Laughs] So hardly ever used it.

TL: Do you remember why you chose that name then, did you just...?

YB: I don't know, I was looking through names and there was a reason for it, but I can't remember that far back, why.

TL: Were there other of your high school --

YB: Yeah, I think --

TL: Friends who were choosing names at the same time?

YB: Yeah, I think, I think so... Japanese names and they wanted American names. But everybody used Yone, or they'd call me Ione. Never seem to be able to say Yone... or Yone.

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.