<Begin Segment 7>

TI: We were talking a little, I want to come back to your childhood, but we were talking about your parents and we learned a little bit about your father. How about your mother? How would you describe your mother?

JK: Well, sir, I have to tell you, in my world, my mother was a formidable, formidable personality, full of strength and dignity and lots and lots of love. You know, she, remember I told she was deeply religious? Okay, I kind of, as I got to be an adult, I kind of wandered away from my mother's teaching, so people ask me today, "What's your religion?" And I tell 'em, "I would like to believe I can practice my mother's religion." And that's dignity, love and affection, be tolerant, don't be judgmental. You know what I mean? And try to live a good life. And I'm, frankly, I am... yeah, she was a nice lady.

TI: Yeah, I can tell that you were very close to her. How about personality wise, how would you describe her personality?

JK: [Laughs] She was funny. When we were younger, my brother two years older than me, and I can remember she'd order us around because we were classic kozos, and she says, "You guys think you know how?" She says, "Go out on the living room floor." She says, "I'm gonna wrestle you guys and I will take you down."

TI: This is your mother who did this? That's unusual for an Issei.

JK: [Laughs] Oh yeah, man. So she'd, I mean, she doesn't stand four foot nine, for god's sake, she doesn't weigh ninety pounds, for god's sake. "I'm gonna take you down." So of course, there was a time when she couldn't do that anymore, but funny, funny.

TI: Now, she did this out of kind of discipline, or just out of play?

JK: Well, I guess sometimes discipline and play, but yeah... I guess in a word, she had a tough life, tough life. This is... my apologies.

TI: No, no, no. And if any point you want to take a break or something --

JK: No, no, I'll be okay. I'll be okay.

TI: You talked about, I'm curious about her religious devotion and how she got involved with the Protestant Church. Was there something that happened or a time that she got more involved?

JK: You know, that's something I really don't know. My sense is that, that there was this Reverend Kokubun in the Imperial Valley, in El Centro, and he was a very dynamic individual, and I've often thought that he might've had an involvement. And also, she might've also -- while she lived in Pasadena... I'm gonna see my sister. She lives here in Los Angeles. I'm gonna ask her next time I see her about that, what she might remember about my mother's getting so attached. And I'd have to believe in Japan she probably was a Buddhist, 'cause they just were back in that era...

TI: Yeah, generally there, it's not common for, Japanese who practiced Christianity in Japan. There are a few. There were some, but it was not that common.

JK: Yeah.

<End Segment 7> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.