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TI: So let's, so you talked a little bit about him crossing the border, and when he came to the United States, where did he end up? Where did he go?

JK: Well, he ended up with my uncle in Central Valley, and they did some cherry picking and peach -- they were just classic, like today's workers, they did exactly the same things that folks do today. And then somewhere in there my uncle ended up with an ostrich farm. [Laughs]

TI: In the Central Valley, an ostrich farm?

JK: Well, and he settled down in a city called Stockton, which is here in the Bay Area, on the east side. And for years and years he was Stockton Papa and his wife was Stockton Mama, even though they're our uncle and aunt. And it didn't register to us until many years later that it's, we call 'em that because he was from Stockton.

TI: Interesting. You thought it might've been a Japanese term.

JK: We thought, "Well, I don't know what that means, but that's okay."

TI: Okay. And then you talked about earlier, so your uncle, at that point he was a friend of your father, he introduced, essentially, or told your father about his younger sister, who ended up being your mother.

JK: Yeah.

TI: And in 1915 she came to the United States as a picture bride. So let's talk a little bit about your mother. What was her name, and where was she from?

JK: My mom's maiden name is Takeno Suzuki, and she was from Tohoku Sendai.

TI: That's another kind of interesting current event, so Tohoku Sendai, so that's where the recent earthquake --

JK: Earthquake, tsunami.

TI: And so do you still have family?

JK: Yes, I have my cousin who was, spent World War II in Japan, and because he was educated there only as a kid, he has on his mother's side, kinfolks in Sendai. In fact, he communicated with 'em after that tragedy, and they're okay. But on my side of the family, I'm not aware of anyone. I have a sister who just turned ninety-six, and she stayed in touch with, it would be her cousins and so on, but she's not mentioned any survivors in recent times.

TI: Okay. It's interesting, in my interviews, I haven't come across very many people who emigrated from Sendai or from that area. Was that, but apparently your uncle came over with probably other ken folk from that area?

JK: Actually, I just found some historical documents in my little archives of this, like a group of the people from that area that had come to America, and this guy in Japanese and all that, they chronicled who they are and what they're doing, and that one was dated 1934. I don't know, would, do you, would your people --

TI: Yeah, after the interview I'd like to talk to you more about that. I'm always interested in that.

JK: If you have an interest in, I've got a pile of photographs from Japan and studio pictures and things. Kind of fascinating if you're a history buff.

TI: Yeah, no we, and we are, so I'll talk to you later about that. So your mother comes over 1915, and as a picture bride, and meets your father. So at this point, where do they, where did they live?

JK: Okay, and after they got together they moved down to Pasadena where my mother became just a lady, housekeeper lady, and my dad was a gardener and a chauffeur, in a family, for a family called Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. Don't ask me why I remember the name, but I do.

<End Segment 3> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.