<Begin Segment 6>

MN: Now, you shared that your family moved to Central California from Hollywood. Do you have any idea how your father came to that decision?

KY: No, I don't. I came from a typical family where the man who was an Issei is the dictator, and he doesn't explain any of his decisions. And whatever he decided, we were supposed to follow without question or without hesitation. So him telling us to do something was not anything foreign to me. And doing what he said was nothing other than what we would do anyway.

MN: So when you moved to Sanger, was there like a cherished, treasured item that you had to leave behind?

KY: I don't know. As a kid of nine or ten, probably the toys.

MN: Do you remember seeing your parents burn any Japanese books or photos?

KY: Not that I remember, but they may have done it when I was at school. They never made any big deal out of it, and I don't think we had a lot of Japanese paraphernalia exhibited. So even if we had it, I don't know. I know we did not have a picture of the Emperor on the wall. I'm sure we had a butsudan.

MN: Did your parents take the butsudan with them?

KY: I don't think so, because I don't think we knew how long we were gonna be, where we were going. And I think we put everything in one car and drove, so I don't think we had a lot of room other than for our clothes.

MN: Now, once you got to Sanger, what did your parents do?

KY: I'm sure they were, became farm laborers. You worked on a per hour basis doing whatever. And I'm sure both of my parents worked.

MN: Do you recall if your parents enrolled you in school?

KY: Well, they must have, because I was too young to do it myself.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.