<Begin Segment 28>

TL: When, in your travels, in, during that trip, did you realize more or realize things about yourself as an American, since you were...

YB: Well I could see that I could never be a true Japanese, to live there full-time. At that time it was more, not as Americanized, not as many cars. And I thought, gee, if I have to live out here, could I make it 365 days a year? And I would think about that. But the warmth and caring-ness of the people, and the way they lived and ate was not that bad, when you really come down and think about it. And I thought I could bear 'em, but I thought, "No, I'd still like to go back to America, that's my birth country and that's where I want to stay." 'Cause I, I, they had me practically married to a... when I say a "shirt tail relative," it was a relative through marriage. And he was out of university and into his father's business, which was a big pottery factory in Nagoya. And I thought, "No, I don't want to stay here yet, I want to go back to America." So my uncle said, "You don't know what a good deal you missed." And I thought, even then, "I don't care, I want to go back." So I came back. I didn't want to get tied up.

TL: Well, what other expectations did you have about a future husband?

YB: I didn't have anything in mind. That's all they thought of over there. Well, here she is, and in college and ready to get married. And all kinds of prospects, nice looking, they're all okay but I thought what would I do, Americanized as I am and as Oriental as they are. I'm going to have to have an awful time. Mother did train me in many ways that I should not behave this way in Japan, in America you can do this. I thought I'm ready for that, I wasn't, so I was ready to come home.

TL: Well how about an American husband?

YB: I wasn't quite ready for that either.

TL: Okay.

YB: Uh-huh. Because I didn't marry until I was twenty-four.

TL: Was that considered old at the time?

YB: Oh yes. Mother wanted me married off before I was twenty. They thought I was an old maid after twenty. And I said, "Mom, if I don't want to marry any of the people that you mentioned." I said, "There might be a tramp that will be walking down the street and that might be very nice and might like him, I'll marry." "Oh don't talk like that," she would get after me. [Laughs] But that wasn't trying to turn down anyone that was eligible and nice, but I just was not ready.

TL: More things to explore...

YB: Uh-huh.

TL: ...and see and do.

YB: Right.

TL: I think that's enough for today; thanks.

<End Segment 28> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.